Sarah vs the Intersect
by Costas TT
Summary: What would happen if Sarah was our favorite Nerd and Chuck was the debonair CIA agent? AU story, written for fun.
1. Chapter 1 The Beginning

**A/N:** Ever since I got hooked on "Chuck", I was wondering what it'd be like if _She was the secret and He was the Agent. _Hence this story. As it would border on the sacrilegious to turn John Casey into Joan Casey, I opted for his female equivalent in the series, Alexandra Forrest. I still wanted Casey in my story, however, and Wepdiggy's "Sarah vs the Alternate Universe" was the source of inspiration for his role. Kudos to Wep, btw.

In this chapter I chose to rewrite the first episode, in order to properly introduce the characters (after the role shuffle), but I'll hopefully be following with more original chapters, some of which may be loosely intertwined with or inspired by the series' story line.

And, as usual, standard disclaimers apply.

I hope you enjoy reading it.

**PROLOGUE**

Major Alexandra Forrest, US Army, was tired. Paperwork was definitely not her forte. She preferred action to just sitting around and writing mission reports, which required the inclusion of an incredible amount of detail. Still, it _had_ to be done, and Alex Forrest was not one to shirk work. Orders were orders, protocol was protocol and procedures were procedures. She had always been the 'by-the-book' type both as an Army officer and as an agent of the NSA. Well, if not always, at least most of the time. She signed the last form and let out a contented sigh as she rubbed her tired eyes. Getting up from behind her desk she moved over to a big fax machine with an encryption module that was connected to a secure line. She fed the report sheets into it and then dialed the number and required authorization code and pressed the 'send' button. She mentally ran through her post mission checklist for the twentieth time: send the written reports, check; submit the appropriate digitized forms via secure satellite connection, check; clear and secure weapons, check; check, check, check. Everything was in order, so it was time for a little R&R before going to bed. In the kitchen, she poured herself a glass of the expensive, aged-to-perfection Irish whisky that she liked and dropped on the living room couch, switching on the TV at the same time. Her eyes wandered over to the framed photographs on one of the bookshelves and came to rest on one particular photo that showed her with another, younger, blonde woman sitting in that very living room and smiling at the camera. The other woman had her arms around Forrest in a sisterly hug, while Forrest herself had an arm over the younger woman's shoulders holding her in a protective embrace. She had to admit that they really did look like sisters, not looks wise, there being no family resemblance between them, but they did share a unique bond… And then she couldn't suppress a smile as she remembered how it all began a few years ago…

**Chapter 1. Sarah Versus The Intersect.**

September 24th 2007, Echo Park area, Burbank, CA.

"You got all you need?" asked a hushed male voice from the window.

"I think so," replied a feminine voice from inside the darkened room.

"Don't forget the keys for the Herder," said the man. "My bicycle is not made for two people."

Suddenly, the light in the room is turned on.

"Sarah, what in the blazes are you doing here?" asked the brunette at the door.

"Umm… Escaping?" the pretty blue eyed blonde half-asked hesitantly. The brunette, Dr. Eleanor Faye Woodcomb, MD, frowned. "From your own birthday party?" she said, incredulous.

"And, Morgan, what are _you_ doing here?" she continued, starting to get angry.

"Hi Ellie, I just came over to help my best buddy," the short bearded man replied defensively. Ellie, however, was in no mood for games.

"Sarah Lisa Walker," she said sternly, "Your brother and I worked really hard to make this party a memorable and enjoyable occasion for you. And I'm not about to let you and Morgan here ruin it. Plus there are a lot of nice guys here today. It's about time for you to start going out with men again and get over Bryce." She pronounced that last name with distaste. Sarah still protested. "But, Ellie, I don't know anyone. They are all your friends, plus they are all doctors."

"SARAH!" Ellie bellowed.

"Okay, okay, I'm coming," Sarah said, the resignation and defeat evident in her voice. "C'mon, Morgan," she got up, helped her best friend inside and they both meekly followed her brother's girlfriend to the courtyard, where the party was in full swing. A few minutes later, Sarah was talking to, or rather was being talked to by, a handsome, confident fellow by the fountain.

"So, Sarah, are you currently seeing anyone?" he asked with a calculated detached interest.

"Not for some time now, not since college," she replied absentmindedly, "not since Bryce."

"Bryce?" the man asked.

"Yes, Bryce Larkin, my ex. He dumped me for my roommate and – then – best friend Jill," she looked pained by the memory. Jill had not just stolen her boyfriend, but she had also framed her for cheating and gotten her kicked out of Stanford on her senior year. "She's a big shot banking executive somewhere," she finished.

DNI building, Washington DC, in the meantime.

Jill Roberts, who was definitely not a banking executive, dropped from a vent into a brightly lit white room that had a fancy looking computer terminal jutting out from the floor in the center. Her white shirt was stained with blood from a nasty cut on her left temple just below the hairline. She half ran, half skidded over to the terminal and activated it. Plugging a PDA to the computer, she made sure the connection was live before she punched in a sequence of access codes and then a few commands. She paused only to put on a pair of dark glasses and then hit the 'enter' key on the terminal's keyboard. Suddenly the whole room was filled with images projected on the walls in a seemingly interminable and very fast slideshow sequence, while the contents of the terminal were being downloaded to Jill's PDA. When the download was complete, she removed the PDA and stashed it in a pocket. "It's hard to say goodbye," she muttered sarcastically as she attached a small time bomb to the terminal and activated it. Ten seconds. She paused for a couple of seconds to admire her handiwork and take a deep breath before taking off running for the door. The blast from the small but powerful explosive device blew the door off its hinges just as Jill reached it. The three security guards trying to break it open were thrown down on the long corridor and knocked out. Jill ran for the exit, taking out a couple more guards on the way. Running up the stairs, she furiously typed something on her PDA and scrolled through her email contacts looking for one particular name. She made it to the roof and, after avoiding more guards, shimmied down a drain pipe to the parking lot. She took one last look behind her and one at the PDA to confirm the recipient, when a sharp crack shattered the stillness of the night air. Jill felt a burning sensation and a stabbing pain in her chest as she fell backwards on to the asphalt.

"Don't move," commanded a voice. Jill looked up and saw a blonde woman approach her, pistol in hand and pointed right at her. She smiled venomously and said "You're too late, Forrest," and then pressed the send button on her PDA, just before her world went black.

A couple of hours later, back in Burbank

Finally, the party was over. Sarah felt relieved that it was. To her the whole exercise was a waste of time, not to mention a disaster. All the guys she had talked to had listened to her lament about Bryce's and Jill's betrayal and apparently lost interest. She didn't care, really. She was back in her room, playing video games with her best friend since childhood to drown her sorrows plus her guilt for pretty much ruining what her brother Devon and his girlfriend had obviously taken pains to organize for her.

Their gaming marathon was interrupted by her computer beeping, announcing an incoming email. Pausing the game of Halo, Morgan took a look. "Whoa, Sarah, talk about a blast from the past… Jill remembered your birthday!"

"What? Jill?" She put the controller down and moved to the computer. Opening the email, she saw an attachment titled 'stanford .zrk'. She clicked it and the phrase 'the terrible troll raises its ugly head' appeared on the screen.

"What's that?" Morgan asked.

"It's a line from Zork," she replied with an amused half-frown on her face.

"Zork?"

"Yeah, y' know, that old text based video game… Jill and I programmed our own version back in Stanford using the TRS-80."

"Wow, you were really cool!"

"What can I say? I'm a professional nerd," she laughed pointing to a post-it note stuck on the computer monitor with these very words scrawled on it in her handwriting. "If I could only remember what was in my hero satchel… The weapon I'd use to kill the terrible troll," she said, answering Morgan's unspoken query. "And, Morgan, I think it's time for you to go home."

"Already?"

"Yes. Pedal safe, pal."

"Thanks. See you tomorrow."

After Morgan left, she just stood thinking about Jill's puzzle. Then it came to her. She bent over her chair, typed 'attack troll with nasty knife' and entered the answer. All of a sudden pictures, lots and lots of them flashed from the screen. She stood upright, confused and unable to take her eyes off it. It went on and on for hours… When it was finally over, the sun was up and Sarah, dazed and exhausted, fell flat on her back and lay on the floor unconscious.

September 25th 2007, Echo Park area, Burbank, CA. 0712 hours.

"Sarah. Sarah! SARAH! SARAH, ARE YOU OK? WAKE UP!" The voice was distorted, as was the image of the man kneeling over her. Other images danced before her eyes, adding to the general fuzziness.

"Morgan?" she said weakly, realizing that she was lying on the floor of her room.

"That's me. C'mon, get up. We gotta go to work, or Big Mike will have our asses," he said as he pulled her to her feet. She stood there for a moment, swaying drunkenly, trying to focus and get her bearings.

"Take a shower, get dressed, and I'll be waiting in the kitchen, OK Sarah?"

"Ugh, yeah, OK. And, Morgan?"

"Yeah?"

"Did you by any chance spike the punch?"

"We've been friends for so many years, and where's the trust?" he feigned being hurt by the question, but a second later he admitted the truth "Yes, I did." He could not lie to his best friend.

In the bathroom, under the shower, while listening to the morning news over the radio, Sarah had a strange experience, like a brief blast of epiphany. It was triggered by the morning traffic situation report. _What's wrong with me today _she wondered. Shaking the thought from her head, she toweled herself dry, got dressed, quickly downed a glass of chocolate milk in the kitchen, kissed her brother goodbye and went with Morgan to the parking space outside the apartment complex, where the Nerd Herder was parked.

"Morgan? You drive today. I've got a splitting headache," she told him cutting his video game related rambling short.

"You serious, Sarah?"

"Yes. It's just a company car," she said of the red and white Toyota Matrix that sported the Nerd Herd 'running man' logo. "No big deal."

"No big deal? A company car is a status symbol, Sarah. I mean, this baby here's sitting on chrome… or plastic."

"Yeah, whatever. But, buddy, do me a big one and stay off the I5. The cops are in a … phased… deployment… or something."

"OK… sure, no problem. Get in and buckle up."

In the meantime, at the DNI building, Washington DC.

CIA Director Langston Graham angrily paced the destroyed room. NSA Director Brig. Gen. John Casey, USMC, looked up from the file that he was reading. "Dammit, Graham, Jill Roberts was CIA. It was your job to find her," he said, visibly annoyed.

"And it was the NSA's job to keep this facility secure," he retorted, coming menacingly close to the other man and eliciting a grunt in reply. "And thanks to T-X here, we don't know what she did with the Intersect; we've got nothing."

"We have a dead CIA agent," the tall attractive blonde said. "That's a gold star in my book."

"Does she have to be here, General Casey?" Graham asked.

"Major Forrest is heading up this investigation, so, yes. She has."

"General, sir, what did this Intersect computer do?" Forrest inquired.

"It did everything," came the somber reply. "After 9/11 the NSA and the CIA were ordered to play nice. All the intel gathered by both agencies was put into that computer and the data was encoded into thousands of images. Whoever received Roberts' email now possesses all of our secrets."

Forrest held up Jill's self-destructed PDA. "The hard drive was fried," she said, but we picked up a trace signature on the email she sent."

Casey was immediately interested. "Really? Where to?"

"Greater LA area. Which is perfectly fine by me. I'm feeling a bit pasty," Forrest quipped with a smug grin.

September 25th 2007, Buy More store, Burbank, CA. 0910 hours.

Sarah was at the Nerd Herd desk in the Buy More, with her team members, at least those that were not at the time working in the cage or out on off-site installs and service calls. The men, Jeff Barnes and Lester Patel, wore regulation black slacks, white dress shirts and grey ties. Jeff wore a pocket protector and employee ID badge on his breast pocket, while Lester's ID badge hung from his belt. Anna Wu, the other woman in the group, wore a similar outfit, but with an obscenely short black skirt, fishnet stockings, large amounts of makeup and a wild hairstyle. Sarah herself was more conservatively dressed, shirt neatly tucked in the black skirt that came down to her knees, blonde hair savagely pulled back in a ponytail and no makeup at all. She took a sip of coffee from her mug and started giving her customary morning pep talk.

"Fellow Nerds," she began, "today we have a difficult day ahead of us. There is a new computer virus around, and a really nasty one. It's a computer killer. They call it the 'Irene Demova' virus."

Lester let out a long low whistle and a laugh.

"Yes, I know," she continued, "it's named after the Slovakian porn star. Lonely dude - _and_ dudette - call volume will be high. To give you an example: Last night, our display version of the Prism Express laptop was fried when _someone _(she glanced at a guilty-looking Morgan for added emphasis) tried to access Ms. Demova's fake website. This is what happens," she said and entered the offending site on the just repaired laptop. Everyone looked on as the screen flickered and went black. "Understand?" she asked, drawing nods from the other Herders.

As she had predicted, the day was rather hectic, with the new virus adding to their usual service and install workload. Shortly before it was time for her lunch break, a tall, well dressed, good looking man entered the store. He was talking on his phone.

"… and the mark has a past association with Jill Roberts," droned the voice on the other end of the line. "Local. Bright but something of an underachiever. Had her heart broken recently. I'm sending you her picture now."

The man looked at the file photo of the young blonde that appeared on the screen of his mobile phone. Looking around the store, he spotted her behind the Nerd Herd desk. He grinned like a shark. "Piece of cake," he muttered to himself and strode towards her.

Sarah was on the phone, trying to get through to a Buy More corporate warehouse and order parts to restock the Nerd Herd supplies of computer spares. Morgan was across the desk from her, in his green Buy More polo and khaki pants, being the perfect best friend and trying to convince her that Devon and Ellie had a point about Sarah needing to start dating again, even with the first guy that caught her fancy. Like the one that he saw entering the store.

"What about this dude there, Sarah? He does look like James Bond," he said.

"My name is Bond, James Bond," she parroted in a mock Scottish accent.

"Ahem…" the newly arrived man cleared his throat. Somewhat startled, Sarah looked up at him and dropped the phone.

"That was quite a good imitation of Sean Connery there…" he glanced at her badge "…Sarah," he said. She felt herself blushing almost immediately. She had to put her business face back on, quickly, and she knew it.

"How may I help you…"

"Bartowski. Charles Bartowski," he said, also mimicking Sean Connery, and quite successfully, too, before switching back to his normal voice "But you can call me Chuck," he said with a smile. The smile made Sarah swallow hard and he noticed it.

"I didn't know that parents still named their kids 'Chuck'. I'm Morgan, by the way," Morgan interrupted, extending his hand.

"I didn't know that parents still named their kids 'Morgan' either," Chuck shot back shaking hands with Morgan. Sarah decided to intervene. "What can I do for you, Chuck?"

"I have a small problem with this," he said placing a mobile phone on the counter.

"Ah, yes, the Intelicell. That's a quick and easy fix." She removed the back cover and the battery and produced a small screwdriver. "There is a screw back here that has a tendency to work itself loose… Now, just a couple of quick turns… And… Good as new!"

"Wow, you geeks are good."

"Nerds, actually. We prefer the term 'Nerds'. See? Nerd Herd 'n' all?"

"Yes, I see. Cool name…"

"Excuse me, excuse me, please…" interrupted a newly arrived customer. He looked really upset. "I bought this camera here and filmed my daughter's entire dance recital, but now it won't play back… Can you please help me?"

Sarah gave the man a reassuring smile, took the camera and opened it. "You don't have tape in here," she said finding the cause of the problem.

"But… It's digital…"

"You still need digital tape."

"Oh no. Oh, no. My wife's gonna kill me…" the man said miserably.

"We can do something about it, sir… Morgan, I need The Wall, pronto," Morgan nodded and scampered off. Smiling sweetly, Sarah excused herself from Chuck and moved to the wall where the late model HD TVs were displayed and, with the help of other Buy More employees set up an impromptu dance recital, which was successfully caught on digital tape and also drew applause from both employees and customers. Looking at her from the Nerd Herd desk, Chuck was quite impressed with the way the blonde went out of her way to help people. It was something he definitely did not see every day, especially in his line of work. Feeling good with what she'd accomplished, Sarah started back towards her work station, only to be intercepted by her arch-rival and general pain in the ass Harry Tang. "Been up to your usual tricks again, Walker?" he said testily.

"Don't worry, Harry, we'll have the wall back up in five," she replied calmly.

"Five minutes? You know what five minutes means in Buy More dollars?"

"We have our own currency? Didn't know that," she said sarcastically.

"No wonder Big Mike wants me to be the assistant manager…"

"There is an opening for that? Big Mike did not tell me anything."

"And why should he? He knows you can't cut it. He knows you won't leave the comfort of the Herd."

"Lay off, Harry." She dismissed Tang and returned to her position. Her face dropped in disappointment when she realized that Chuck was gone. Morgan was already at the Nerd Herd desk, smiling. "Sarah, this dude left you his card," he said brandishing the small rectangular piece of paper. "I strongly suggest that you give him a call, sister."

"I don't know, Morgan, maybe later."

"Suit yourself…"

The rest of the day passed uneventfully. When they finished their shift at the Buy More, Sarah gave Morgan a ride to her place in the Herder. They planned to gorge themselves in some junk food and do some serious online ass kicking in Call Of Duty. They entered the apartment laughing at the lameness of some joke Morgan had heard from one of the green shirts at the store, but immediately froze at the sight of a figure clad entirely in forbidding black, not even the eyes being visible, that was apparently in the act of stealing her computer.

"No, please, not the computer," Sarah gasped.

Morgan went into combat mode; grabbing a plaster statuette from a nearby shelf, he hurled it at the intruder, who deftly bounced it back in mid-air, sending it flying towards the pair at the door. It hit Sarah knocking the wind out of her. Morgan was furious. "Hey, THAT is my BEST FRIEND," he yelled and launched himself at the thief, who placed the computer on a shelf and got ready to deal with the short bearded man. For his effort Morgan got a spin kick to the chest that sent him reeling backwards right into Sarah and the two crashed down on the floor in a tangle of limbs. The intruder paused to briefly savor his small triumph, but it was short-lived, as the shelf gave way under the weight of the computer, which followed its owner to the floor, where it broke apart. The thief immediately ran out of the apartment complex, got behind the wheel of a dark blue Dodge Charger and sped off. Removing his mask, the thief, who was none other than Chuck, roundly cursed his bad luck. He would have to think of some other way to recover the Intersect.

September 26th 2007, Buy More store, Burbank, CA. 0945 hours.

"Nothing we can do here, Sarah. It's not just smashed. It was dead before it hit the floor. Everything inside, hard drive, processor, every piece of hardware, is fried, sorry," Lester said.

"Did you consider that you may be a victim in a ninja vendetta?" droned Jeff.

"Ha-ha… Very funny, Jeff," replied a very miserable Sarah. "I'll just go next door to Large Mart and buy new locks…"

While looking for the hardware section at Large Mart, Sarah saw a dark skinned guy browsing for something on a shelf. Her eyes rolled upwards.

_A picture of a canary_

_A file photo of the man_

_His military record_

_Explosions_

_A picture of a canary_

She swayed on her feet and blinked trying to regain her balance, rubbing her temples to make the sudden headache go away. When she looked again, the man was gone. She bought the new locks and hurried back to the Buy More, unaware of someone watching her.

"I've got eyes on her right now, Graham," Chuck said.

"It's over Chuck, I want you back to DC post haste; the computer was destroyed, right?" the CIA director said.

"Yes, beyond repair. But what if she's got an external drive? I can find it."

"No use, Chuck. You couldn't have known. You couldn't have stopped it. The damage is done."

"I can fix-"

"No, Chuck. The NSA is taking it from here. Major Forrest will handle it from now on."

"Forrest? She's a psycho burnout!"

"She's a killer, son, cold school."

"No, Graham, I said I can fix it. Just give me one more day."

"You know I won't be able to help you if it goes south. You're on your own there, Chuck."

"I know…"

Chuck got out of the Charger and headed towards the Buy More. Entering the store, he went straight to the Nerd Herd desk.

"Hello Sarah," he flashed her his trademark smile.

"Oh, hello Chuck. Phone trouble again?" she inquired holding up her screwdriver.

"Yeah, kinda. I'm not certain I can receive calls any more, cause… I never got one from you."

She blushed immediately.

"Anyway," continued Chuck, "I also wanted to apologize for leaving so abruptly yesterday. I'm new in town and had an appointment with a realtor. And, as I don't know anyone here, except you, that is, would you like to show me around, say, tonight?"

"Sure she can!" Morgan said, "She's got nothing but free time!"

"It appears that my schedule is open," she said sheepishly.

"Good," he fairly beamed, "seven-thirty okay?" he scribbled something on a piece of paper and gave it to her. "You can pick me up at my apartment."

"It's a date," she said.

Chuck left the Buy More with a contented smile on his face, unaware of the murderous glare cast his way by a blonde sitting in a black Suburban in the parking lot.

Sarah's place, Echo Park area, Burbank, CA.

Sarah opened the door and saw Devon and Ellie cuddling on the couch still in their hospital scrubs.

"Ellie, Captain," she said, "I've got some news, don't freak out." The two were immediately interested and cast inquiring looks at Sarah.

"Sarah's got a date!" hollered an exuberant Morgan, jumping in through the open door, picking Sarah up in the air and whirling while still holding her aloft.

"What? When? How?" stammered a mildly shocked Ellie.

"Way to go, sis. That's awesome," her brother said.

"Wait, what are you going to wear?" Ellie added. Sarah just shrugged helplessly.

Later, all four were gathered in Sarah's room, various items of clothing strewn about on the bed. Ellie kicked off the conversation, picking up where they had left off.

"So, this Chuck guy, is he nice?"

"Looks like it… Morgan actually met him online in a gaming chat board… I'm kidding, Ellie," she said noticing the funny look the brunette gave her.

Ellie was unfazed. "Try this," she said, "I'm a girl. I know what guys like."

"And as guys, we two also know what guys like on a girl, right Morgan?" Devon interjected. Morgan nodded in agreement and the two men high-fived.

"I'd totally go for this, if I were this Chuck fellow. Ellie's got one just like this and it worked on me," Devon said pointing to one of the potential outfits for Sarah.

"Too revealing for a first date," Ellie said disapprovingly, "get out you guys, I've got it well in hand."

Chuck's place, 1926 hours.

"She's coming to pick me up for a date, show me around town, Graham."

"Good. You know what you have to do."

"I don't know about this girl, boss."

"Nice girls are not sent government secrets, Chuck."

Chuck made sure his Para Ordnance 14-45 automatic was locked and loaded and tucked it in the waistband of his pants.

"What should I do if she runs?"

"Kill her," Graham answered coldly. There was a knock on the door. Chuck opened it and saw a smiling Sarah, looking positively stunning in the outfit Ellie had helped her pick out.

"Ready for a night out in Burbank?" she asked innocently and somewhat shyly.

"As ready as I'll ever be, Sarah. Lead the way."

They ended up in a Tex-Mex restaurant and took a booth not too close to the mariachi band. The conversation was mostly light hearted and both, especially Chuck, were quite surprised to discover that they were actually having a good time.

"… So, let me get this straight," Chuck said, desperately trying to keep a straight face, "you call your brother 'Captain Awesome'?"

"You'll see why when you meet him. Everything he does is awesome. Jumping out of planes, climbing mountains, rafting… flossing."

"What about other guys in your life? Morgan, for instance?"

"He's been my best friend ever since we were six years old. He's... Well, he's family. Like a brother to me. And to Devon, too. As for other guys, there was one a few years ago, in college – but it's all over now," she said remembering the admonishment she got about the 'old boyfriend rule'. "What about you, Chuck? Any skeletons in your closet?"

"I just got out of a rough breakup, so I may come with baggage," he admitted.

"Well, I can be your own personal baggage handler," she said with a comforting smile.

"Yeah, thanks. Thing is, I moved here from DC when I realized that everything there reminded me of… Julia… I needed a change of scenery real bad."

"Welcome to Burbank, then." Her smile was even sweeter when she said that.

After a pleasant dinner they went for a walk. While on an overpass, they paused to take in the view of the still busy streets. An official motorcade was passing below them. Sarah saw the vehicles, and all of a sudden her eyes lost focus. Images started dancing before her, photographs, documents and files detailing who was in the motorcade, his itinerary and business.

"Sarah? You okay?" Chuck's voice brought her back to reality.

"Yes, I just kinda zoned out for a moment there," she replied. "Hey, Chuck, wanna check out a club or something?"

"Sounds like a good idea."

"Follow me."

"Sarah Walker's your mark," the dangerous blonde said to her team watching from the black Suburban as the couple strolled towards the club after leaving the Herder parked in the street. "NSA Director wants her with a pulse. Till we find out who she's working with and what she knows, she lives. The CIA prick you can kill," she said, cocking her weapon.

The club was nice. Not too crowded, the music not uncomfortably loud and the drinks good. Chuck had insisted that they dance, over Sarah's objections that she was a terrible dancer. Fortunately for her the band played a slow piece and she was able to swing to the rhythm in sync with Chuck, the two holding each other, her head resting lightly on his chest, feeling completely relaxed. Chuck also appeared relaxed, but he was carefully scanning the surroundings for any sign of trouble. He stiffened imperceptibly when he saw several men in dark suits entering the club. One of these men headed straight for him and Sarah. He pretended not to notice and when the man was directly behind him, he elbowed him in the face. That's when he saw the grim faced blonde by the entrance. There was only one thing left to do; he grabbed Sarah's hand and ran out the side exit dragging her behind him.

"Chuck, what's going on?" she asked, visibly alarmed.

"Give me the keys to your car, Sarah."

"What? No, only employees are allowed to drive a Herder… Wait… How, how did you open it?"

"GET IN!" he yelled when he saw a black Suburban coming straight at them. He started the Herder and gunned the engine, trying to put some distance between them and the hulking SUV pursuing them. The other car had too much horsepower to outrun, however, and it soon caught up with them, driving straight into the Matrix's rear bumper, jolting both the little car's occupants. Unfortunately, Chuck was not yet familiar with the streets in the area, so he turned to a very scared Sarah for directions. "Left or right?" he asked urgently. She could only stare at him, eyes wide with fear.

"Wha- What?" she stammered.

"Too late," he growled, taking a hard left turn, sending the Matrix flying down some pedestrian stairs towards another street. "Wow, computer emergency…" commented a teenager to his friends when they saw the Herder's antics.

Chuck slammed on the brakes when they reached the street, near an office building parking lot.

"Sarah, listen to me. These people are here for you, possibly to harm you."

"What? Me? Why? I'm just a Nerd Herd supervisor at a Buy More. One day I may even get to be assistant store manager, and I'm not so sure if that's what I want. But we have a bigger pro-" She never finished the sentence as the Suburban T-boned them on the driver's side, spinning the Matrix around and scattering pieces of it all over the street. The Suburban braked and started coming around for another go at them. Chuck freed himself from the wrecked Matrix and pulled Sarah out as well. He led her by the hand as they started running towards the nearest building. Despite her panic, she noticed the big automatic pistol that had appeared in his hand as if by magic; she tripped on the Matrix's bumper that had been detached from the car by the impact and fell flat on the street. The Suburban was now really close to them and its driver was obviously intending to run Chuck down.

"CHUCK, LOOK OUT!" she screamed. He assessed the situation and noticed the guard shack at the parking lot entrance just to his left. He brought his gun up and fired, hitting the emergency barrier activation button. In the same move, he crouched and faced away from the onrushing SUV, which crashed into the barrier in a shower of sparks and vehicle parts. Pausing for a second to catch his breath, he helped Sarah to her feet and led her to the nearest building, requesting a helicopter for emergency extraction on his phone. Soon, they reached the helipad on the roof.

"What is your connection with Jill Roberts?" he asked brusquely.

"What? Jill? How do you know Jill?" she asked, incredulous.

"We worked together at the CIA."

"The CIA? Jill is a spy? Jill Roberts is a spy?"

"A rogue spy, Sarah. Did she try to contact you?"

"I haven't heard from Jill in… No, wait. She… She sent me an email on my birthday…"  
"Did you open it?"

"Yes. It was a line from Zork."

"A line from what?"

"Zork. A video game we used to play. It was a riddle, I solved it and then I saw pictures. Lots and lots of pictures."

"YOU SAW THEM?"

"Yes. Wait, I wasn't supposed to-"

"Your computer, did you back it up? Is there an external drive?"

"It crashed last week…"

"Sarah, listen, I may have to aim my gun at you, but don't freak out."

"Aim your gun at-"

"It's late, I'm tired…" said a new feminine voice. "… So cut the crap, hand her over to me and we'll call it a night. She belongs to the NSA."

"CIA gets her first," Chuck growled, pointing his gun at Sarah. Forrest aimed her own gun at Chuck. "You shoot her, I shoot you, then leave both your bodies here and go out for a late snack. I was thinking, maybe pancakes," she teased. Sarah had had enough. She bolted for the relative safety of the building ventilation machinery just below the edge of the helipad.

"Sarah, no!" Chuck called after her. She didn't go far. She froze in her tracks looking at a luxury hotel across the street. Images started dancing before her eyes again. She tried to regain her composure and turned to face the two agents, who were still engaged in their standoff.

"They are going to kill him!" she shouted.

"Kill who?" asked Forrest.

"Stanfield, the General, the Army guy. Look, something's wrong with me, don't know what, but, but I remember things I should not. For example, I saw a Salvadorian demolitions expert at the Large Mart today, also, you guys, the NSA, intercepted blueprints of a hotel; THAT HOTEL! And last week the CIA found schematics for a bomb in Mexico City. The bomb is in the hotel right now!"

"She WAS working with Jill!" Forrest concluded, pointing her gun at Sarah.

"NO!" Chuck's gun was now aimed at Forrest's head. "She opened Jill's email! Sarah, these pictures were encoded with secrets. Government secrets. If you saw them, you know them."

Sarah was stunned. "There were thousands of them," she managed to say.

"Are you telling me that ALL of our secrets are in her head?"

"Sarah IS the computer, Forrest!"

"You said there is a bomb," Forrest said, "Is there any way to stop it? We're the good guys; we're paid to keep bombs from exploding,"

"What? I dunno… Call Jill. She's the one who can save the day."

"Jill's dead Sarah… She died sending those secrets to you," said Chuck tersely.

"Jill… dead?" Sarah was visibly shocked. Forrest needed to break the impasse, so she fired her gun into the air to get the others' attention.

"Yes, and she's gonna have a lot of company, unless you start talking, so, pretty please," she growled. Sarah thought for a moment. "According to the schedule, the General is already on stage. We gotta hurry!"

When they reached the hotel lobby, Chuck suddenly stopped. "Wait, Forrest, we can't take Sarah with us! She's too valuable!"

"Right," the female agent said, roughly shoving Sarah into a chair, "Which way?" she asked her.

"The easiest way?"

"The fastest way, Walker!"

"The fastest, right… Follow me!"

"Sarah, STOP!" it was no use. The two agents had no choice but to follow her to the hotel's conference center, where the convention on the military's contribution to counter-narcotics operations in the Americas was taking place, and she soon spotted the bomb. There was a commotion when they uncovered it and security personnel rushed to evacuate the conference hall. They had less than two minutes to defuse it, when Sarah's phone rang.

"Morgan, it's not a good moment, is anything wrong?"

"Nope. I'm in your room, 'cause my computer has a case of the 'Demova's', the Captain's out with Ellie and-" She broke the connection. Morgan had given her an idea. She flexed her fingers and knelt by the food cart that held the bomb. Forrest reached out to stop her. "That's not a video game," she admonished.

"No, but the timer is running on a Prism Express laptop," Sarah replied calmly, "We sell these at the store. It's got a DOS override. I can do this, trust me!" Forrest pulled back, realizing it was maybe their only shot at preventing a bloodbath in the hotel. Sarah's fingers flew over the keyboard.

"Mr. Bomb, meet Mr. Internet," she quipped and typed the keywords in the search bar of the browser.

"You're surfing for porn?" Forrest couldn't believe what she was seeing.

"Hold on," Sarah said, closed her eyes and entered the infected site. Sure enough, the virus did a number on the computer, stopping the detonation sequence with only a second to spare.

"You did it, Sarah!" Chuck was enthusiastic. Sarah finally opened her eyes.

"I did it! I defused a real bomb! Who-hooo! Oh, wait… What if I was wrong?"

"Don't puke on the C4, Walker," said Forrest.

Afterwards, the two agents had an argument about what they should do with Sarah. Forrest wanted to move her to a secure government facility ASAP, while Chuck opposed that move and said he'd prefer to keep her in Burbank with her family and friends. Sarah did not want to disappear from the face of the earth and told them in so many words, adding that it was them who needed her, as she knew the Intersect's secrets, and they would have to play nice. She left them to settle the matter between them.

September 27th, Santa Monica, CA, 0642 hours

Sarah was sitting on the beach, her shoes off, idly playing with the sand as it shifted between her toes and watching the ocean in the early morning sun. She became aware of a presence as Chuck walked on the beach and sat down next to her.

"How long have you been here?" she asked him.

"All night," came the simple answer.

"There is nowhere I can run, is there?"

"No. Not from us."

"So, what happens next?"

"You go back to your life, Sarah. We'll protect you and you'll work with us."

"My family, my friends?"

"Tell them nothing. It's the best way to keep them safe."

He saw how she was looking at him. His eyes met hers.

"There is one more thing you can do for me, Sarah," he said.

"What is that?"

He gently lifted her chin with a finger and said "Trust me, Sarah…" and he hugged her to comfort her; she gratefully accepted the hug. She had looked into his brown eyes and realized that she could begin to trust him.

September 27th, Sarah's place, 0730 hours

Sarah was bone tired as she opened the door to the apartment she shared with Devon and Ellie. The latter intercepted her with Morgan in tow, before she had taken two steps inside. She had proven time and again that she was considerably more of a worrywart than her easygoing boyfriend, even on matters pertaining to said boyfriend's little sister.

"All night? You know how worried I was, Sarah? I even called Morgan here! Can you imagine that? I called Morgan!"

Sarah said nothing; she just pulled Ellie and Morgan into a big hug. Devon saw them while leaving for the hospital.

"Group hug, huh?" he said, embracing all three. "Awesome!"

September 27th, Burbank Buy More, 0932 hours

"Well, guys, that's it," Sarah said, signing a form. "Wish me luck."

"Go get them sister!" encouraged Morgan after seeing her face off with Harry Tang as she headed toward Big Mike's office to the sound of Ennio Moricone's music from the movie 'For A Fistful Of Dollars' that he played over the store's sound system. Big Mike did not look up from his paperwork, but silently indicated that she place her application form in his 'in' basket.

"Didn't think you'd apply," he finally drawled.

"I think I'm ready for this, Big Mike," she said, "responsibility, decisive leadership-"

"Save it for the interview. Now go train the new gal."

"OK, Big Mike," she said and left the office looking for the new employee. She was smiling, because training newbies at the store was always interesting. The next moment though, her jaw dropped when she saw a smugly grinning Alex Forrest clad in a Buy More sales team uniform waiting for her. Her surprise was complete when she saw Chuck doing his shopping in the store. She noticed the belt buckle he was wearing and had another flash, this time it was surveillance footage of Chuck engaged in a firefight with several men and gunning them all down before shooting out the camera as well.

"Don't freak out…" she told herself.


	2. Chapter 2 Sarah vs The Condor

**A/N:** I finally decided to go ahead with chapter 2. It will include references to various episodes of "Chuck" to make it easier to follow the plot line, but I hope I can come up with some original storylines for this and subsequent chapters.

All usual disclaimers apply, blah, blah, blah…

**Chapter 2.**** Sarah Versus The Condor.**

INTRODUCTION

_Hi! My name is Sarah Walker and I am a professional Nerd. By that I mean that I work as a supervisor at the IT service section of the Burbank CA Buy More store – better known as the Nerd Herd. My job and my life in general used to be __very boring, until Jill, my old college roommate, sent me a whole database of government secrets that are now locked in my head, keeping me in a constant state of fear, danger and anxiety. The government, of course, wants to ensure the safekeeping of these secrets, so they assigned their best agents to protect me. The NSA sent Major Alexandra Forrest. Men just tend to note that she's quite the looker, but she's pretty scary, if you ask me. She works at Buy More now, as a cover. The CIA sent Special Agent Chuck Bartowski. He seems to be a nice, decent guy. And he's really cute. For a trained assassin, that is. Oh, and he's currently posing as my boyfriend (sigh)._

_So, the three of us now have to work together to protect the world from rogue spies, terro__rists and the like. _

_My best pal Morgan Grimes, my brother Devon 'Captain Awesome' Walker and his girlfriend Ellie Woodcomb don't __have a clue about my new double life. I really hate lying to them, but what they don't know can't hurt them, right?_

October 6th 2007, Echo Park area, Burbank, CA, 0830 hours

Sarah closed the door of her apartment and locked it. Her brother and his girlfriend had an early shift at the hospital, so they had left a couple of hours ago. She slung her messenger bag over her shoulder, smoothed her Nerd Herd uniform skirt and looked across the courtyard. Sure enough, the door to a neighboring apartment opened and Alex Forrest in her Buy More green and khaki uniform walked into the courtyard.

"Hmmm, you are right on time, Walker. Not very usual for a civilian," she said.

"Good morning to you too. And I'll have you know that I am always on time, Forrest," Sarah replied, annoyed. Forrest's attitude sometimes rubbed her the wrong way. Sarah was by no means a morning person, so she could get cranky sometimes, especially if people were being rude to her this early in the day.

The two said nothing more as they walked over to where Herder 4 was parked and got in. Sarah started the car and focused on driving. A few minutes later, she got tired of the silence and decided to turn on the radio. As her hand moved towards the radio controls, Forrest finally spoke.

"Not now, Walker. We have some things to discuss first," she said.

"Really? OK, go ahead."

"It's about your cover, I-"

"Yes, Forrest, I know. It's just a cover, etcetera, etcetera," Sarah interrupted, as she stopped at a red light.

"Let me finish; yes it's a cover, but you have to do something to sell it. Especially to your brother and that nosy girlfriend of his."

"First of all, Forrest, Ellie is not nosy. Well, maybe a little, but she's concerned. And it's only natural that they want to meet my new boyfriend," she briefly took her hands off the wheel and made air quotes with her fingers at the last word.

"My point exactly. You've been putting off introducing Bartowski to them for almost ten days now. I strongly suggest, no, I _insist_, that you bring him over for dinner, double date, or whatever, as soon as possible. Green light, drive on. That way you'll get them off your back. You may even need to do some PDA with Bartowski in front of them."

"Yeah, about that… I'm not very comfortable with PDA."

"Just do your job, Walker."

"Yes ma'am."

"Are you making fun of me?" Forrest growled menacingly.

"What? No! Absolutely not. I wouldn't dream of making fun of you, Forrest. But that's what you military types wanna hear, right? 'Yes sir'. 'Yes ma'am'. And I think I'm getting the hang of it; I don't have to like orders, just carry them out, correct?"

"I seem to recall that you have problems with one particular order."

"The 'stay in the car' thing, I know."

"You know, but you don't seem to learn the lesson. Director Graham made it crystal clear. You pull another stupid stunt like the one with Dr. Zarnow and the chopper a few days ago and you're off to an underground bunker somewhere."

"Gee, you certainly know how to be a motivational speaker, Forrest," Sarah said glumly.

"My job is to keep the Intersect safe. I have my orders and I intend to carry them out. Now shut up and keep your eyes on the road." Sarah considered giving a biting reply, but decided against it. It was clear that Forrest did not like her, and she didn't want to piss that perpetually angry killing machine off any more than she could afford to. The older woman was very intimidating and appeared to take some sort of sadistic pleasure in tormenting her asset. _At least Chuck is not a jerk like her, _Sarah thought for the millionth time since she met the two agents.

A few minutes later she pulled into one of the two spots reserved for the small fleet of Herders in front of the Buy More. There were more spots out back by the loading dock, but she preferred to park at the front of the store. That way her Herder was more readily accessible, which was convenient as she tended to go out on more customer service calls than half of the Nerd Herd combined. She was, after all, the best.

The two women got out of the small car and gathered their belongings. As Sarah locked it, someone suddenly crept up to her and put his arms around her slim waist.

"GAH!" she let out a short scream, fortunately not too loud so as to attract unwanted attention to them. She turned around. "Chuck, dammit, I've told you before, don't sneak up on me like that!" she complained.

"Sarah, we're supposed to be a couple," he said, giving her a light kiss. "We have a cover to maintain."

"Does that cover include giving me a heart attack?"

"Stop acting like a little girl Walker. You mean you'd react the same way if a real boyfriend greeted you this way?" Forrest was being her usual sarcastic self.

"Having a real boyfriend would automatically mean that I would NOT have a freaking supercomputer in my head and therefore not live in fear of capture, torture or 'extraction to a secure facility', as you so eloquently put it, Forrest. Ergo, I would not be that jumpy."

"Good point," the female agent conceded.

"Anyway, good morning Chuck."

"And good morning to you too, Sarah, and Agent Forrest."

"Mornin' Bartowski," grumbled Forrest and stepped into the store. Chuck turned to Sarah.

"Seriously, Sarah, I'm sorry I startled you. But there is no need to be worried; you have me and Forrest watching your back. Nothing is going to happen to you, I promise."

"As much as I want to trust you completely, Chuck, I just can't do it, OK? This whole Intersect thing is too much," she said. She was flushed and looked like she was on the verge of tearing up. Chuck knew he had to do something about it, fast.

"Sarah, we'll do it one step at a time. And I will be with you all the way. Besides, you'll get the hang of it, at least until the geniuses at Q section can figure out a way to remove that thing from your head, so that you can have your life back.

The overt James Bond reference elicited a small smile from Sarah.

"Now, speaking as your boyfriend, I cannot allow you to go to work like this," he said.

"Mmmm, what do you mean by that, Chuck?"

"I mean that you look like a spinster, not a girl involved in a happy relationship. I think I'll start with your hair. Undo that ponytail."

"But, Chuck, a ponytail is practical," she complained, but let her blonde hair loose anyway.

"Yes, but it can be better." He stroked her hair gently, combing it with his fingers, pulling it back again in a ponytail, but leaving some locks to frame her face between them. "Like this," he said, finishing and stepping back to admire her. She bent over to look at her reflection in the Herder's rear view mirror and could not help but agree that she actually did look better. She straightened herself and took an appraising look at Chuck. She knew that he was freshly shaven, for she had already caught a whiff of his after shave when he embraced her. His not-too-short-but-not-too-long wavy brown hair was neatly combed. What surprised her was his clothes. He was wearing a light blue dress shirt over grey slacks. He appeared somewhat overdressed for the occasion, whatever that was today. He saw her quizzing expression and explained that he had taken a job at a store across from the Buy More – a cover job, just for surveillance purposes, of course. When she asked him which store he worked at, he pointed to a fancy auto accessory dealership. She was greatly amused that the CIA would actually have him sell stuff in order to be able to keep an eye on her at all times, even though Forrest would be with her most of the time in the store, but he told her that any early warning they might get from him could mean the difference between success and failure for Operation Walker, and, given the dire consequences of failure for Sarah herself, she did not feel that these measures were extreme in any way.

Out of the corner of his eye, Chuck noticed that some Buy More employees were looking their way. "Kiss me," he told Sarah.

"Huh?"

"People are watching us; don't look! It's just for cover."

"For cover," she sighed, stood on tiptoes and lightly brushed her lips against his. He pulled her closer and made a show of returning her kiss. After they lingered for a few seconds to make it more convincing, Sarah reluctantly disentangled herself from Chuck, smiled awkwardly, took a deep breath and walked into the Buy More. She had barely gotten past the automatic doors, when Big Mike intercepted her.

"WALKER!" he hollered.

"Yes, Big Mike?"

"My office, now," he said gruffly. She obediently followed the rotund black man to his personal sanctum sanctorum. Big Mike ensconced himself in the throne that was his very comfortable high-backed office chair and glared at her over a donut that he picked up from a box on his desk. She just stood there and patiently waited for him to speak.

"Do you know the benefit of being an assistant manager here, Walker?" he finally huffed.

"Hum… Marginally better pay?"

"No. Less work. For ME! You see, having an assistant manager means that this person will get to do much of the work I currently have to do. Thus, I will be able to be more relaxed, and I really need to be a lot more relaxed instead of constantly dealing with all those losers out there-"

"Your employees, you mean?"

"Don't interrupt me. Yes, I mean them. Plus I can go fishing more, knowing that somebody is in charge of this madhouse when I'm not here. "

"Is that all, sir?"

"No, dammit, that's not all! Corporate is on my ass and they want to know why the position is still vacant. You damn well know that I cannot just promote someone to that position without having some suit come down here and do an evaluation and interviews. Right now, it's come down to between you and Harry Tang. Personally, I'd prefer you. But I have to go by the book on this one. So, do you really want to be my assistant manager, or not?"

"I… I guess so."

"You _guess_?"

"Hmm, I want that position, Big Mike."

"Good. But you'll have to do more to earn it. Like whipping these fools into shape. Your buddy Grimes, for example, has really improved since you applied for the job. Just look at him," he said, pointing to the sales floor; Morgan had accosted a housewife over at home appliances and was convincing her to buy the latest model of the Crock-Pot. "He's doing this for you, working instead of goofin' around with you, y' know, to make _you_ look good to _me_," he said.

"I know, Big Mike. I'm lucky to have him as a friend."

"But you also have those two dimwits, Jeff and Lester on your team. And they are slowing you down. It's a long shot, but I strongly suggest that you do something about it. Get them to do some real work here. If you can't, I'm sure Tang will."

"Point taken, sir. Will do my best."

"Excellent. Dismissed."

Sarah left the manager's office and walked over to her station at the Nerd Herd desk. She made a mental note to talk to Jeff and Lester about what they needed to do. She smiled thinly to herself when she thought of what she had to tell them to make her plan work. Morgan started going to her to talk, but stopped and winked at her before heading to intercept a new customer that he saw enter the store. Her smile grew, knowing that this was another display of Morgan's fierce loyalty to her. She was the only Herder at the desk, so she stayed there in case a customer came for help. It turned out to be a slow day. She only had to fix a couple of cell phones, return some serviced items to their owners and send Skip Johnson out to deal with a computer emergency, before it was time for lunch. The only excitement came when Forrest managed to move yet another Beast Master grill, her third in the few days she'd been a green shirt, which was quite an achievement, especially for a woman, since barbequing is generally considered a man thing. Big Mike would certainly give Sarah some extra credit, as she'd been the one who 'trained' Forrest.

As she was about to get up and head to the break room for lunch, Forrest approached her and whispered something in her ear. Sarah nodded and left, after making sure that the Nerd Herd desk was manned. She made a beeline to where Chuck now worked. He greeted her at the door with another hurried cover kiss and led her inside to his small office. The brass plaque on the desk read "Charles Bartowski, accounting".

"So, you're a book keeper here, Chuck?" she asked.

"Yeah. Most of the time. I'm expected to help with sales if required, but mostly I sit here and watch over the Buy More."

"Comms up!" Forrest interrupted the faux couple.

"Chuck, who are they?" Sarah asked of the two men that appeared on Chuck's flat screen monitor and drew an angry glare from Forrest.

"Sarah," Chuck said, "meet my boss, CIA Director Langston Graham and Forrest's boss, NSA Director General John Casey. Sirs, may I present Miss Sarah Walker." The General let out a grunt, one of greeting, as Sarah would come to learn later. Graham merely nodded.

"Sirs," she nodded respectfully, "Do you want me to go out, Chuck?"

"She can stay," came the voice of Director Graham through the speakers. General Casey merely grunted his acquiescence.

"This concerns her as well, being the Intersect," continued Graham. "General?" Casey grunted again, causing an almost unnoticeable smirk to appear on Sarah's face. _Is this what this guy does instead of talking, _she wondered, suppressing a chuckle by biting her lower lip. Finally Casey spoke, much to Sarah's surprise.

"Ladies, Agent Bartowski, we have recently received some intel about a possible shipment of weapons coming to Los Angeles. The weapons are intended for unknown recipients, presumably operating all over the West Coast. These are well funded organizations, so the weapons will be top of the line military issue stuff. We believe that this batch is part of a larger shipment. Another batch is believed to be headed to a Mexican drug gang, most likely the Sinaloa cartel, but this is not of our immediate concern. You are to use the Intersect to review the relevant files and determine the both the origin and the final destinations of said shipment, if possible. Once that is done, you are to inform us of the results immediately and appropriate action will be taken based on your findings. Understood?" Sarah, Chuck and Forrest all replied with a 'yes sir'. "Good. The files have been sent to you. That will be all for now," said the General and terminated the videoconference.

"That should be easy enough, assuming it's in the Intersect," Chuck commented, calling up the folder with the new mission information on his computer.

"Oh, I'm sure Walker here will manage to find some unique and novel way to screw it all up," came Forrest's caustic remark.

"Now listen here, Forrest," Sarah was starting to get angry.

"ENOUGH!" thundered Chuck, looking up from his computer, "Forrest, zip it. You are not helping one little bit if you keep acting like this. Sarah, just cool your jets and come over here."

Sarah allowed herself to be guided to the seat. The files that she had to examine were already open. Stung by Forrest's sarcasm, she carefully started going over the files, ignoring her rumbling stomach. She was missing lunch to help protect the greater good, which did not go unnoticed by Chuck, however, who quietly placed a small plastic tray containing a sandwich and a can of orange soda by her side on the desk. She nibbled on it without taking her eyes off the screen. For good measure she went through the intel twice. Finally, she looked up. "No flash, sorry; it must not be in the Intersect." She was almost apologetic when she said that, as if it was her fault. Chuck understood. He placed a hand on her shoulder and gave her an affectionate squeeze. "It was worth a try, I guess," he said and took out his phone to report to Graham and Casey. Forrest, still smarting over the chewing out she got from Chuck earlier, was sitting by the window in quiet rage munching on a burrito.

Sarah left Chuck and Forrest and went back to the Buy More. This time, she headed straight for the cage, where the Nerd Herd repaired computers and peripherals. Jeff and Lester were both there, absorbed in one of their stupid games and not doing any work at all, as usual.

"Jeff, Lester, we need to talk," she said.

"Sure Sarah, what can we do for you?" Lester asked.

"Look guys, I know it may be too much to ask of you, but you gotta stop fooling around and get started on that backlog of repair orders that has accumulated because you two don't want to work. I'm telling this as your supervisor, OK?"

"Does that mean that you got your pretty little ass chewed out by Big Mike?" Lester teased. Jeff looked at her with an 'I wanna chew on your pretty ass too' expression on his face, but said nothing. Sarah felt her blood begin to boil.

"Fine, Lester, have it your way. Keep on slacking. Make me look bad to the big man, I don't care."

"You don't care?" Jeff asked suspiciously.

"No. And you know why?" The two men shook their heads no. "Because the rest of the Herders are more than capable of taking up the slack. And they'll do it, if I ask them to. Because with their help I'll get all the repair jobs completed, keeping the delays to a minimum. And even if Big Mike doesn't fire your lazy asses, rest assured that I will _not _get that assistant manager position, in no small part because of you two. And you know who'll get it, right? Harold Tiberius Tang," she said jabbing a finger at Lester for emphasis. The looks on the duo's faces were priceless. She had finally gotten through to them. She decided to press home her advantage. "And you two morons know what it'll be like to have Harry as the assistant manager here, don't you? Me, I don't care. He can't touch me. Big Mike won't let him, either. But I think you know that Tang will eventually get the two of you fired. After that, good luck finding new jobs."

Jeff and Lester were both on the verge of panic. She flashed them her approximation of a sadistic smile and turned to leave.

"Sarah, wait!" Lester's agonized plea echoed through the room. She turned around, still smiling. "Yes, Lester, if you have something you want to tell me, do it now, it's your last chance," she said.

"Fine, Sarah, you win. What do you want us to do?"

"Get finished with your share of the repair orders by tomorrow night and from now on do your tasks in a timely fashion. If you don't, Harry Tang. Also, keep your slacking and idiotic behavior to a minimum, _especially_ in front of Big Mike and the customers. If you don't, Harry Tang. And Jeff, try to start coming to work as sober as you can possibly manage. If you don't…"

"Harry Tang?" Jeff asked dumbly.

"You got my point. Now get to work!" As the two scrambled to start repairing computers and iPhones in the cage, she turned and left the service shop area and went to the main floor. _Damn, that felt good_, she thought. _Maybe Alex Forrest is rubbing off on me… A little._

"Nice job there, Walker," she heard Big Mike say from behind her. "How did you manage to make those two dumbasses actually work? The security cams do not have audio, you know."

"Let's just say that I regaled them with stories of the glorious future of this store and their own not so glorious future under Tang's assistant management," she said slyly.

"Smart girl," he said, sending her on her way with a friendly pat on the butt.

"Careful, Big Mike. That might be construed as sexual harassment," she joked.

"Bah, you know I'd never pull that kind of crap on you, kid," he replied with a big toothy smile.

Sarah laughed and decided to prowl around the store for a while. As she got to the registers, she could not resist glancing longingly across the parking lot at All Auto, thinking about Chuck. She stood there, taking in the view, watching the flow of traffic by the strip mall, when the now all too familiar dizzying sensation of a flash hit her. She wobbled a bit and had to grab on to a nearby shelf for support. She shook her head to clear the dizziness away and took off running to find Chuck. She crossed the parking lot at warp speed, zoomed by a startled All Auto salesman and burst into Chuck's small office, where he was going over some files with Forrest.

"Chuck," she panted, "Chuck, I… I just flashed!"

Concerned, Chuck got up, guided her to a chair and offered her a glass of water. Forrest looked interested.

"Sarah, calm down. It's OK. Relax… Have some water… That's better. Now, tell me what did you flash on?"

"It was a delivery truck. I saw it going that way," she said pointing to the general direction the truck had been heading towards, "the General was right. There _is_ a weapons shipment coming in. They just got some wrong information as to who and when. It's going down today!"

While Chuck was gently coaxing her to tell them about her flash, Forrest was furiously taking notes.

Several hours later, the two super agents (Sarah's words) and the nerd girl (Forrest's words) were monitoring a warehouse complex from inside a black Chevy Suburban that Forrest had requisitioned from a federal motor pool.

"It's starting to get too cliché, you know," Sarah said after a long quiet spell.

"What's that?" Chuck asked, still watching through his small but powerful binoculars.

"The whole 'bad guys and isolated warehouses' routine."

"Can you contribute something useful to the operation for once, Walker?" Forrest grumbled, without looking up from her laptop computer.

"I did get us food, didn't I? I think you should at least show some appreciation."

"Who on their right mind would order takeout while on a stakeout?" lamented Forrest.

"Still," chuckled Chuck, "It's the thought that counts. And the gyros sandwiches were really good. Just like they make them back in Thessaloniki, Greece."

"You been to Greece, Bartowski?"

"Not on missions, Forrest, but I've been there a few times on vacation. No, wait. There was a mission that had me operating out of Greece. It was a joint op in the Balkans with Interpol. Good times."

"I'd like to go to Greece. And France. And Spain. Maybe even Ireland," Sarah said wistfully. The light hearted talk did not distract them from the job at hand. They just needed a way to relieve the boredom and tension of the stakeout. The good food had helped, too. Sarah had called the restaurant to order and had the food delivered to a nearby office building parking lot. From then it was a simple matter to take the stuff to the Suburban for a stakeout dinner.

"We've got movement," announced Chuck, "Sarah, see anyone familiar?"

She raised her binoculars and focused them, while bracing herself for a flash that might be coming, which did.

"That fat one with the mustache is Juan 'El Nino' Fuentes. Boss of the _Muerte Negra_ gang. The other guy, the tall one, is Alvaro 'El Borracho' Campos, known cocaine wholesaler for the Sinaloa cartel in the LA area." She flashed again, this time on the henchmen hovering around the big shots. "The others are just thugs with mile-long rap sheets," she finished.

"Good job, Sarah. Looks like a job for the DEA and the ATF so far. No national security matter… But…"

"But you'd like to take a look inside, she who the supplier is, and if his business is a potential threat to national security," Forrest finished the thought for him.

"Exactly. Shall we, Agent Forrest? Sarah, you know the drill. Stay-In-The-Car!" Without another word the two agents exited the vehicle and moved stealthily through the shadows towards the side of the warehouse.

Sarah sighed and moved her lithe body from the back seat to the driver's seat of the Suburban. Picking up her binoculars, she steadied her elbows on the window sill and started watching the warehouse again. Occasionally, through the binoculars, she could discern some fleeting movement in the shadows. Chuck and Alex. They were getting close to the objective. The cool night air caused her to shiver and, fumbling with one hand, she zipped up her Buy More jacket, without taking her eyes off the target building. Suddenly there was a commotion at the entrance. More people were apparently joining the party and very bad people at that. Many very bad people with lots of guns. The color drained from her face. She wanted to warn Chuck and Alex, but they had left their phones in the car and taken tactical radios instead. She did not have one. No way to contact them. What was she supposed to do? Chuck had been adamant when he told her to drive away and go home at the first sign of trouble. But how safe would she be without her two protectors? These thoughts flashed in her mind, before she decided on what she had to do. Steeling herself, she got out of the car and slunk towards the warehouse keeping to the shadows, following about the same route the two agents had taken. She got to the side wall of the warehouse undetected and noticed an open window by the fire escape. She got in and, keeping low, started looking for the two agents. Turning around a large crate, she suddenly found herself staring down the muzzles of two silenced guns. Chuck and Alex had heard the slight noise behind them and had whirled around to face the possible threat, primed for action. They lowered their weapons when they recognized the intruder. Forrest was furious. "Just what the fuck do you think you are doing here, Walker?" she hissed, her voice barely a whisper.

"Sarah, why can't you just stay in the car?" complained Chuck.

"Sorry guys, but we've got more company. I had no other way to warn you. I had to come."

"No, you did not have to come. How many times do I have to tell you that you are way more valuable than me and Forrest? You should have gone straight home and our superiors would contact you," he whispered.

"Well, I'm here now. Is there anything I can do to help?" she insisted.

"Shut the fuck up and don't make a noise, or I'll end you," Forrest threatened.

"Won't hurt if she took a look at the happy gathering downstairs. She flashed on the buyers, what if she flashes on the seller?" mused Chuck. Sarah gingerly peeked over a parapet at the main warehouse floor. At first she just saw the faces that were familiar from her earlier flashes, but then…

_A bicycle_

_Interpol reports_

_Neat rows of weapons_

_Horribly mutilated bodies_

_More dead people_

_A bicycle_

She sank back to the floor between the two agents and curled up in a ball holding her knees tightly under her chin. Even in the dark, Chuck could see that her beautiful cobalt blue eyes were wide in terror and that she was trembling.

"Sarah?" he asked, the concern visible on his face. Sarah's lips moved, but no words came out at first. Finally, she mustered the courage to speak. She only said one word. "Condor". Alex and Chuck looked at her and then at each other, completely stunned. This was far more serious than they expected. Without a word, they grabbed Sarah and virtually dragged her back to the Suburban. Chuck started the engine and moved the vehicle as far away from the warehouse as possible without losing the ability to watch the premises. Forrest called the General with her report. The new orders were clear. Observe, do not under any circumstances engage and wait for backup. If the target leaves, follow at a safe distance. Chuck turned around in his seat to check up on Sarah. It was obvious that the last flash had really terrified her. She still looked very scared and she appeared to be trying to hold back tears. Forrest noticed the worried look in the CIA agent's eyes as he went back to watching the warehouse and turned around to face her asset.

"Walker? Are you OK?" inquired Forrest.

"No, Alex, I'm not OK," muttered Sarah.

"What's wrong?" Forrest's voice was softer than usual. "Talk to me, Walker."

"I'm… I'm glad I came to find you… If I hadn't flashed on that man… You might have been caught, had you tried anything on your own… If anything happened to you two… He's a psychopath… It would have been awful…I- I couldn't leave you."

"You are more worried about us, Walker?"

"Uh, you _are _supposed to be protecting me. How do you expect to accomplish that mission if you're…" she could not bring herself to say the word 'dead'.

"We're all fine, Walker, just so you know-"

"Target on the move!" announced Chuck. "Forrest, call it in!"

"On it!" She spoke on her phone and then gave the others a run down on the current situation. "LAPD SWAT, ATF and DEA units are moving in on the buyers. We've got two full tactical teams on the way to back us up. Once we have the target's destination we are to stand down and brief the team leaders for the takedown."

They followed Condor's delivery truck at a safe distance, right up to a high class neighborhood. The vehicle entered the grounds of a beautiful isolated villa.

"Here we are," said Chuck, pulling the Suburban over at a safe distance from the villa.

"Now what?" asked Sarah.

"We've got our orders. When the tactical teams get here we brief them and stay out of the way."

"I see."

"Hey, if we can wrap this up early enough, we can go for a drink or something."

"I'd love that, Chuck. Alex, would you like to come too?"

"Don't you lovebirds want to be alone?" she teased in a somewhat playful tone.

"C'mon Forrest… Having two beautiful ladies by my side is too good to pass up. Plus we really need to talk. All three of us."

"OK, fine. But the drinks are on you, CIA."

"I'll expense them."

The rest of the mission proceeded smoothly. The tactical teams arrived, were briefed on everything, even the layout of the villa, on which Sarah had flashed, and assaulted the compound. Sarah and Chuck almost rolled to the ground laughing when they were told that the notorious Condor was literally caught with his pants down taking a dump, while even Forrest could not help but chuckle at the news. So, the three were in a very good mood when they went into a nice little bar and took a table at a corner. Chuck ordered the drinks. As he had predicted, he drew many envious stares as he entered the bar flanked by Sarah and Alex. The women of course drew even more stares that ranged from simply admiring to downright lustful.

"To a successful mission," Chuck raised his glass.

"To making the world a safer place," added Sarah.

"To a job well done," said Forrest. They clicked glasses and drank. They sat for a while in silence, savoring their drinks and enjoying the relaxed atmosphere after the tension of the day. Sarah finally spoke up.

"Guys, I know that I am going to hear the 'stay in the car' sermon once more. Not right now maybe, but… Never mind. I think that we need some more equipment for the missions if we are going to keep doing this."

"I was thinking the same thing," said Forrest.

"Me too. We were lucky today. Lucky that Sarah managed to get in undetected and find us. Lucky that she quickly identified that guy. Lucky that she found us before we could do anything rash. Basically, what we need is a way to keep Sarah here safe, while giving her the ability to use her, um, unique skill set to help us."

"We can do that with the proper surveillance equipment, Bartowski. I suggest that you put in a formal request for a fully equipped command and surveillance van tomorrow."

"We can start by making a semi formal request at the debriefing later. Then, I'll file in the request. We still have a couple of hours until the scheduled conference with Graham and Casey. Let's just have a good time."

October 6th 2007, Forrest's apartment, 2200 hours

"Good evening Agents, Ms. Walker," began Graham, "I must say that you did well on this mission, despite starting out with inadequate intel, but the successful outcome speaks in itself."

"We were lucky, sir," said Chuck. "If Sarah had not flashed on that truck, we'd have nothing. I believe that this was a case of omission. The data originally sent to us needed to have been double and triple checked, sir."

"That's right," Forrest interjected. "Otherwise, the risk of compromising the safety of the Intersect is unacceptably high. It's a different matter when a flash initiates a mission. In that case we, as the asset's handlers, can decide on how to proceed without deviating from our primary mission, which is the safeguarding of the Intersect."

"Duly noted, Major Forrest, Agent Bartowski," General Casey said. "However, I'm still disturbed by the fact that Ms. Walker was at one point left alone and unprotected and also that she took unacceptable risks to warn you two of the arrival of more hostiles on the location, despite the fact that I admire her courage."

"As I've told you before," Graham said on cue, "we may eventually have to extract the asset to a secure location. Unless you two prove that you can do your job and guarantee her safety."

"General, Director, if I may," said Forrest, "you are aware that I was in favor of sequestering the asset from day one." Sarah was terrified as she realized that she now ran a serious risk of being taken away from everyone she loved and condemned to a miserable existence in an underground bunker somewhere, never to see her family and friends again, never for them to know what really happened to her.

"However," continued Forrest, "the asset's actions today are indicative of her dedication to this team and her desire to assist Agent Bartowski and myself in the performance of our duties to the best of her ability." This was as close to a compliment as Sarah had ever seen Forrest give. The NSA agent took a breath and concluded her speech, saying "Thus, gentlemen, I believe that at this time it would be counterproductive to execute any of the alternative plans for the asset. Now, Agent Bartowski has a request to make."

"Thank you, Agent Forrest," said Chuck, "today's events made us realize that, in order to fully exploit the potential of the Intersect, we must have the proper equipment to allow Ms. Walker to stay out of trouble, while still being able to provide us with information from the Intersect database. Therefore, sirs, I officially request that a fully equipped command and surveillance van with all terrain capability be allocated to Team Walker as soon as practical. A proper request form will be filed at the earliest convenience, unless you want it kept off the record."

"Damn right it'll be kept off the record," said General Casey. "We can divert one vehicle for use in 'training' and arrange for you to pick it up. No paperwork trail leading to you. So, request granted. Do you three have anything else to add? No? Goodnight then, ladies, Agent Bartowski." Then the General abruptly broke the connection.

"Well, time to go," said Chuck cheerfully, "Sarah, you coming?"

"Yes, I'll be right over." Before leaving she turned to Forrest. "Thank you," she said simply and then walked out the door towards her apartment. Chuck was by the fountain, waiting for her.

"Everything OK?" he asked her.

"Yes. Chuck? I think that Forrest was right this morning; we need you to meet Devon and Ellie. I'm beginning to run out of excuses, so, how about dinner tomorrow night? Ellie's a terrific cook."

"Fine by me. Is seven thirty all right?"

"Yes. It's perfect. See you tomorrow." She gave him a quick hug.

"Tomorrow then," he said returning the hug.

Sarah entered the apartment to find Devon and Ellie watching TV. She smiled and started for her room.

"Not so fast, young lady," Ellie said, "where have you been?"

"Oh, I just went out with Chuck for a drive, then we had dinner at his place and finally we had drinks at a nice bar. I had a good time, overall. And Chuck is free tomorrow evening, if you still want to invite him over for dinner."

"At last, I'll get to meet him!"

"Double dinner date tomorrow then. That's awesome," said Devon.

"Yes. Yes, it is, big bro. Now, if you'll excuse me, I'd like a bubble bath first and then I want to do some serious gaming before going to bed."

"Is Morgan coming here? I think I heard the word 'gaming'."

"No, he had to work a double shift today. I'll just go single player. Sleep tight guys, see you in the morning."

Devon and Ellie wished Sarah goodnight. Ellie then turned to her boyfriend.

"You don't know how happy I am to see that your sister is finally having a good time. It's just…"

"Awesome?"

"Awesome… That's putting it mildly. Come on Devon, let's go to bed, I need you to show me again just how awesome _you_ are."


	3. Chapter 3 Sarah vs Halloween

**A/N: **OK, time for chapter 3. I think I'll make this one a bit light hearted. No drama, angst or danger here. Just fun. Brief guest appearances by Bruce Willis and Amanda Peet.

Standard disclaimers go without saying.

And thanks for the encouraging reviews on the previous chapters!

"**YOU DID WHAT?**" Ellie's high pitched yell/screech was enough to startle any creature with a keen sense of hearing within a respectable radius; it was certainly enough to cause Alex Forrest to yank the surveillance audio earphones from her head and cover her ears with her hands, wincing at the pain that shot through her head, closing her eyes and biting her lips to will it away.

"I did not get the AM position because I kinda skipped out on the interview," repeated Sarah lamely. She had been dreading that morning. She had been able to avoid that last night, because Devon and Ellie were on a late shift at the hospital and she was already asleep when they had returned home, but she could not avoid the questions in the morning.

"El, babe, it's OK," Devon desperately tried to get his furious girlfriend to calm down.

"No, Devon, it's not OK. You are her brother and you want to protect her, but this is too much. Even the AM job is way beneath your sister. She needs to wake up some time and start living to her true potential. Dammit, she went to Stanford, for crying out loud!"

"Actually, Ellie, I had a personal emergency and Sarah came through for me," Chuck's voice came from the open living room window. Devon immediately went and opened the door for his sister's 'boyfriend' to enter. "She was completely selfless and, although she'll never admit it, she was kind of a hero to me yesterday," continued Chuck. Of course, he could not tell Ellie and Devon that Sarah had not gone to her interview with the Buy More corporate HR guy because she was helping find and defuse a bomb that a domestic terrorist group had planted in a luxury liner. But it was as close to the truth as he could tell them. The explanation seemed to appease Ellie. It was so like Sarah to think of others before herself. Devon, for his part, fairly beamed with pride for his little sister.

"I don't seem to be able to thank her enough, but at least I can try. Devon, Ellie, I hope you won't mind if I steal her from you and take her out to have a good time. As we both have the day off from our jobs, today can be all about the two of us."

"Oh, it's so romantic," Ellie said with feeling and squealed happily.

"It's totally awesome, bro. Go, have a good time," Devon said approvingly.

"Thanks for saving me from Ellie's wrath, Chuck," Sarah said earnestly when they were by themselves out on the courtyard.

"And I didn't have to lie my ass off to them. I know how much you hate lying to your loved ones. What I told them can be considered true. You really were heroic yesterday, Sarah."

"You know that it was the Intersect that did all the heavy lifting," she said modestly.

"The Intersect would have been useless without Sarah Walker. So, since this day is all about you, tell me, where do you want to go first? It's all on the CIA's dime today. You deserve that much – and more," he said, putting his arm around her.

"I don't know… Why don't you surprise me Chuck?" she said looking up at him with a sweet smile on her face.

"Hmmm, I think I might have an idea or two on how to give you a great time in town," he said smiling back at her. It was a good thing that she was holding on to him, like the pretend couple they were, for that smile of his and the look on his mahogany brown eyes made her knees go weak. "First stop, a waffle and hot chocolate breakfast at a nice place I know," he said, leading her towards his car. He thought for a moment and added "How would you like to drive today?" temptingly dangling his car keys in front of her.

"Me? Drive the Charger? It's a dream come true!" She was so happy that she reached up and kissed him on the cheek, before snatching the keys and jumping into the car through the driver's window, Dukes of Hazzard style, without bothering to open the door. He shook his head in amused amazement before getting in the passenger seat and buckling up himself.

"Just don't go Carmageddon or Grand Theft Auto with my car," he teased her, getting a very dirty look in return.

To his amazement, she handled the classic muscle car extremely well. He was aware of the fact that she was a good driver, but he'd only seen her drive a Herder, a diminutive car that paled in comparison to the raw power that the Charger had under the hood. She drove around town, enjoying every moment of it as she felt the throb that transmitted from the engine to the steering wheel, heard the growl of the engine and soaked up the liveliness of the rear drive vehicle; she was in seventh heaven. Chuck himself relaxed and enjoyed the ride, but did not let his guard down for a second. He was too good an agent for that; it did not show, but he was constantly scanning the streets for any sign of trouble, ready to react to any threat. True to his word, he took her for breakfast where he had promised her. She could not believe that she had not known of that place until Chuck had taken there. She realized that it was probably due to her five year dry spell. Everything was delicious and they agreed to tell Devon about that place, so that he could take Ellie there, preferably after a long night at the hospital. After Chuck took care of the check, they went back to the car. As he tossed her the keys, Chuck was acutely aware of the envious looks he was getting from almost every other man around for his excellent combination of girl and car. Even Sarah got the same looks from women who had never driven anything like the Charger even in their wildest dreams, or for what the matter had not been given the chance to drive such a cool ride by a tall and handsome man such as the one they saw with the beautiful blonde.

"Where to now, Chuck?" she asked after starting the car.

"Surprise me," he said.

"How about the Griffith Park Observatory? Have you ever been there?"

"No," he replied honestly. "Never had the chance with work and all."

"I'll have to fix this omission, then."

"Drive on!"

When they arrived at their destination Sarah took him by the arm and gave him the grand tour of the premises. He was glad that she looked genuinely happy. He felt that allowing her to forget her predicament of being the Human Intersect for a few hours was a small reward for everything she had accomplished in the past month, but a reward nonetheless. He wanted her to feel appreciated, knowing that perhaps that would make her better in the job that was forced on her. It would not affect the function of the Intersect per se, as he knew that she could not control it, for it was cued by various external stimuli, but maybe she could become more receptive to instructions from her handlers, especially considering her aversion to staying in the car and out of trouble while on missions.

For now though, he was content to stroll around the park arm in arm with Sarah, listening to her describe the surroundings with almost childlike enthusiasm. Hours later, they settled down on a bench in a quiet area to enjoy the soft drinks that he had bought. They had been sitting in silence for a few minutes, before Sarah kicked off the conversation.

"Chuck, I didn't get a chance to thank you for the other night," she said, "I know that dinner with Devon and Ellie is probably not the easiest thing, even for a spy like you, but you handled yourself pretty well there, so, thank you."

"You are welcome Sarah," he replied. After a moment of awkward silence he added, "and I know that it was not easy for you either. Having to introduce me as a loving boyfriend to your family, all the while knowing that this relationship is a fake, that all we can ever be is asset and handler…" his voice trailed off. He steeled himself to continue. "You do not like lying to them. I am fully aware of that and I said so before. But, Sarah, this is something we must do, if not for anyone, for them, to keep them safe. They'll be hurt in the end, when this is all over, as I'll have to leave on a new assignment, even without saying goodbye, but until that time comes it is absolutely essential to have them convinced that we are an actual couple. It will be difficult for you, giving them hope, making it look like you are happy… I wish there was another way. I really like Ellie and Awesome, y' know. Perhaps you might find this a strange thing to hear from a CIA agent who would normally put a bullet in someone's head without a moment's hesitation. But it's true. I have devoted my life to protecting the greater good and they are another reminder of it. That what I'm doing is not in vain."

"I know, Chuck, I know. We'll make it work. Remember, Dr. Zarnow had said that it might be possible for the Intersect to be removed. He's out of the picture now, but if the principle stands, then maybe one day I'll be able to go back to living a normal life. And believe me; from that day on I will not forget you and Alex, no matter where they send you two. And I will be eternally grateful to you for keeping me safe until that day."

"Thank you Sarah. Thank you for trusting me. I made a promise to you that I'll never let anyone harm you and I'm not one to break a promise. Right now, I can do more. Like giving you a great time. Enough talking shop. I hope you are hungry, because I know a nice place in Santa Monica where they make the best… Nah, I think I'll surprise you. Coming?"

"Do I still get to drive?"

"Of course you do. Today is all about Sarah Walker, remember? I'll punch in the destination to the car nav system and then it's all yours."

Once again, Chuck was right. She was pleasantly surprised by his choice. He ordered a light lunch for both of them, so that they would have enough room for dinner later, as he told her. They made small talk throughout the meal, which was excellent and certainly lived up to the promise he made her.

"… And I consider the view as a definite plus."

"Ideal for romantic dates, huh? Are you trying to seduce me, Special Agent Charles Bartowski?"

"Believe me Sarah, I'd never dream of doing that. Not for the job, at any rate," he hurriedly added, seeing the expression of hurt and disappointment that played briefly on her face.

"You had to seduce women for the job." It was a statement, not a question.

"Sure. But you are different Sarah. You are helping me and Forrest with our jobs willingly, sometimes without so much as a thank you. At the risk of repeating myself to the point of becoming boring, I will stress that this is a special day for a very special girl. Not just Intersect special, but all round amazing." The only reply was a smile that could have melted the polar icecaps. She was touched by Chuck's gesture. Maybe this whole business with having a supercomputer stuck in her head was not so screwed up after all. Especially since she realized that she was gradually getting her confidence back. After every mission she would feel buoyed by the success. And that started her towards once again becoming the person she was five years ago; before Jill and Bryce had ruined her life. She turned to look out towards the sea again, when she noticed a man trying to get a waiter's attention. The man had a tattoo on his forearm. Her eyelids fluttered and her eyes rolled upwards in her head. Images paraded before her. She blinked and shook her head to clear the slight dizziness away.

"What is it, Sarah? You just flashed," said a suddenly very concerned Chuck.

"Yes. See that couple at the table by the window to your eight o'clock? The guy is James Tudeski."

"Jimmy 'the Tulip' Tudeski?" he hissed as his hand went to the gun under his jacket.

"The same. James Tudeski, alias Jimmy Jones, retired hit man. Played a major part in taking down the Gogolak gang back in 2004. The woman with him is his wife Jill Tudeski, maiden name St. Claire, also a retired hitter. They have one child," she recited. "Do you need anything else from his file?"

"No. Retired you say… Then they are most likely not a threat, I guess. All I see is a happily married couple having a good time. Wait, I see that they have their kid with them, so definitely no threat. But I can use that to advantage," he said with a devious smile.

"Meaning?" She regarded him with a thoughtful expression.

"You flashed. Based on that information I decided to tail the Tudeskis to see if they were up to anything unsavory. Makes it easier to explain today's expenditures in my Agency expense account," he laughed.

"So basically, you'll use the Intersect to avoid having to do some paperwork?" It was her turn to laugh.

"What Graham doesn't know won't hurt me," he said trying to sound serious. "Now that I think of it, I'd better call Forrest and tell her all that. Minus the 'scam' part, of course." He took his phone out and quickly explained the 'mission' to Forrest, stressing that there was no immediate need for backup or anything.

The rest of the time was spent joking about Chuck's semi-illicit use of CIA funds for the entertainment of an asset. While walking back to the car, Sarah remembered that she had meant to ask Chuck something before she had the flash.

"Chuck," she said softly, "remember when I said that this is an ideal place for romantic dates?" Without waiting for an answer she continued, "How did you find out about it? It's not on our usual grid or anything…"

"Do you really want to know? The whole truth with all the sordid details?"

"Yes," she replied firmly.

"OK, fine. With the sole exception of breakfast, this whole day was planned based on recommendations I got from Devon."

"You went to Awesome for advice on where to spend a day with me?"

"Something along those lines. In fact, we were talking after dinner the other day, and since he knows I am not local, he took it to himself to give me some useful pointers. I should probably not be telling you this, but he told me that a date that involved going to these places would inevitably end with us dancing a horizontal tango." He paused and noticed that Sarah had blushed beet red. "Your brother certainly is very open about such things," he said smiling.

"Oh, he's so dead," huffed Sarah. Chuck's smile just grew bigger as he tried to picture Sarah attempting to murder her bigger, very fit brother. And if Ellie got in the way to save… Wait, who'd she be saving? Awesome from Sarah, or vice versa? He coughed to suppress a bout of laughter.

"Ellie might have something to say about you murdering her Ken Doll, you know."

"Hah!" Sarah snorted. "I think she'd join me if she heard my reasons."

"No she wouldn't."

"How so?"

"Because I think that she would be looking forward to, ahem, us doing you know what, at least as much as the Captain."

"You've made a valid point there. Wait a minute; there are two exceptions to Devon's perfect day plan that you followed. The observatory. I suggested that."

"True, but Devon still mentioned that you might want to go there. How do you think I knew about the refreshment stand?"

"I don't believe it! You are telling me that my brother, and I can also see Ellie's involvement in all this, believes that he conspired with you so that I could get laid?"

"You got the gist, Sarah." She could only pout and growl, which to him just made her look even prettier and more innocent. _Wait, why am I thinking that? Get your head back in the game Agent Bartowski, you are on a mission_, Chuck thought.

"I so want to mess up Devon's plans," she said, "not that I'd object to spending a night of passion with you, but I hate it when Captain Awesome tries to play matchmaker behind my back and sets me up like that. Right now, I need to let out some steam. I wanna shoot something, dammit!"

"Then I suggest Santa Monica Pier. You know, the arcade games and-"

"NO! I want to shoot something with a real gun. Like the Colt .45 you're packing."

"You know what kind of gun I have?" He asked with a hint of disbelief.

"I am the reigning empress of Call of Duty and a host of other first person shooter games in the kingdom of BuyMoria," she explained, dead serious. "Don't you super agents have a place where you can go to practice, a range or something?"

"Yes, we do. And FYI, it's a Para Ordnance 14-45. I just opted for the classic look."

"Tomato-tomahto, Chuck. It's still basically a Colt .45."

"No argument there. So, to the range it is?"

"Yes. When Awesome asks about our day we'll leave that part out. Naturally."

The range was at a pretty secluded place, had to be, since it was frequented by covert government operatives. There was only one other person there. Forrest. Uh-oh.

"Bartowski? What the hell are you doing here with the asset?" she asked.

"She wanted to try her hand at shooting an actual firearm instead of a virtual one. I thought it might be fun."

"What about the tail you had on those hitters?"

"No threat. Plus, according to the Intersect, they are retired. And they did not seem like they were getting back in the game."

"Roger that. As for the other thing, I'll stick around to watch. I think it'll be fun to see Walker here shoot one of your toes off, CIA."

"Very funny, Forrest. You should take up a second job as a comedian. But if I'm gonna shoot someone, trust me, it won't be Chuck. In fact I might enjoy shooting you in your smart ass," Sarah said. Forrest took a threatening step towards her and Chuck had to intervene to keep it from getting out of hand. To defuse the situation, he took Sarah aside and showed her the basics of handling firearms. Safety precautions, loading, cocking, firing and clearing a weapon. Forrest kept her distance and watched with detached interest. Both agents were amazed with the speed their asset took everything in. She was certainly a good student. When the time came to actually fire Chuck's big .45, she proved that she was a good shot as well. She soon shredded a few of the bullseye targets, but balked at the human shaped ones. Chuck told her to think of them as the baddies from Call of Duty or the nasty aliens from Halo and managed to get her to rack up an impressive score. Even Forrest could not help but find new respect for the younger woman. When the lesson ended, Chuck took a few minutes to clean his gun and replenish the ammo clips. After parting with Forrest, Chuck had Sarah drive back to the city, and took her for a walk on the beach. He was careful to avoid any work related discussion subjects, preferring to talk about movies, music and video games, letting her do most of the actual talking. He then gave her another surprise; he had gotten her a dress and told her to change in the back seat of the Charger while he stood guard. When she asked what it was for, he said nothing; instead he took her by the hand and led her to a fancy restaurant, another stop according to Awesome's perfect date day plan for them. She looked breathtaking in the sheer blue dress and matching shoes he had bought for her. The perfect day ended with them going to see a movie and then returning to Chuck's apartment where they would spend the night together – for the ever important cover. He offered her the chance to take a shower first and gave her one of his Harvard t-shirts to wear as a pajama. He then enjoyed a quick shower, before starting to try and make himself comfortable on the couch. She insisted that she take the couch, being the guest, but Chuck was adamant that she be as comfortable as possible. It took a few minutes of arguing for them to agree that the bed was big enough for both of them, and besides, they would not be getting frisky. Being the red blooded male he was, Chuck had to struggle not to stare at Sarah as she moved around the apartment in just a t-shirt and panties. The girl had a killer body. Fortunately, she soon burrowed under the covers and he could finally relax.

The next morning Chuck woke up a few minutes before 0730 and just froze. Instead of being over at the other side of the bed, Sarah had snuggled up to him in her sleep, her head resting on his shoulder, an arm around his chest and a long leg wrapped around his own legs. He felt a burning sensation where her smooth skin touched his and it took all his training and concentration to will the desire away. He lay there stock still for several minutes, until the alarm clock blared. Sarah opened her eyes and looking straight into his, smiled sweetly and said "Hi, Chuck" and then suddenly bolted upright.

"Oh, crap!"

"What's wrong Sarah?"

"I have to go to work, I'm gonna be late, I gotta go home and change," she babbled.

"No problem, Sarah, got it covered."

"What?"

He reached over and picked up a small overnight bag. "Ellie and Awesome gave me this yesterday. You can change in the bathroom. I'll go make us some coffee," he said. She opened the bag and saw that her Nerd Herd uniform was in it along with a change of underwear. She ran to the bathroom to change, muttering something about throwing Devon tied together with Ellie into class 5 whitewater rapids without a raft, but Chuck could tell that she was grateful to her brother and his girlfriend for covering every contingency.

He drove her home to pick up the Herder and she finally got to the Buy More on time, just before 0800. Morgan was all over her from the moment she entered the store, demanding to know how yesterday's date with Chuck had been.

"So, you spent the night at his place? You are making progress there Sarah," he said slyly.

"Yes, well, in a nutshell, we had an awesome time, she replied. And she wasn't lying. It was the best day she'd had in years. Before Morgan could go too far in praising Chuck's choice of movie, Big Mike burst into the store with all the finesse of a sonic boom.

"Walker," he bawled, "herd up the Nerds. Grimes, tell Tang that I want the green shirts on the sales floor in two minutes. Go!"

Soon the entire staff was lined up before Big Mike as if for a military inspection. First were the Nerd Herders, led by Sarah, then Tang in his yellow assistant manager polo shirt and finally the green shirts. Tang fidgeted a bit, as he was sandwiched between Sarah on one side and Forrest on the other, both women being much taller than him and neither liking him one little bit. Adding to his discomfort was the fact that it had been made clear to him by everyone from Big Mike down to his own minions among the green shirts that had he not been given the AM position by default, the job would belong to Sarah. And Morgan had made certain that the entire store knew about the fact that Sarah had skipped out on the interview to help her boyfriend in his hour of need, which made their respect for her all that greater. Big Mike paced up and down the line of employees before motioning Tang and Sarah to the front and center. He considered them his deputy leaders. Both of them. Finally he spoke.

"People, you know that today is Halloween. Tang, see to the decorations for the sales floor. Walker, same goes for the Nerd Herd desk. You all know about our Halloween costume tradition, so I assume that you have brought your costumes. You'll get an extra fifteen minutes to your lunch break to change if you wish to do so. The green shirts can change now if they want. The Nerds that might be needed to go on service calls can wait. Jeff and Lester are on duty in the cage, so they can change now, if they want. Does anyone have something to add? No? Dismissed."

Everybody scampered away to get on with the various tasks that needed to be done before the store opened for another day's business. Sarah had Anna and Skip work on the decorations for the Nerd Herd desk and took Morgan aside, hiding behind the software section shelves and taking extra care to avoid Forrest.

"Morgan, did you take care of the things I told you the other day?" she whispered in a conspiratorial tone.

"Yes. I got all the I's dotted and all the T's crossed," he replied.

"Where's, you know, the _stuff_?"

"I am supposed to pick up the items today."

"Good man. What time?"

"Anytime from ten thirty on. That's what the lady at the store told me."

"Excellent. I've set up an appliance delivery for you in that area. I cornered the customer and set up the sale myself, so he'll expect someone from the Buy More today to bring him his TV and home theater setup. No install necessary, he can handle it himself, or so he told me. I assume you have nothing better to do, right buddy?"

"Don't worry Sarah. If anything comes up, you can cover for me with Tang and Big Mike."

"No need to cover for anything. You'll be out on an actual Buy More errand."

"It's settled then. I'll leave at ten, given the traffic and all. Gimme the keys for the Herder." Sarah surreptitiously passed him the keys. Satisfied that everything was all right, she took a few minutes to go see Chuck. She found him in his office, chair tilted back, feet on the desk, coffee in hand, with a dreamy expression on his face.

"Hey Chuck," she said cheerfully.

"Sarah, hi. What brings you to the temple of automotive beauty care? You didn't flash on anything, did you?"

"No, no flashes today. I forgot to tell you yesterday, but Devon and Ellie asked me to invite you to the Halloween party at our place. I think it'd help our cover if you came."

"I'd love to, Sarah, but I don't have a costume."

"No costume necessary. Although, I did take care of that small detail."

"You did? How?"

"It's a surprise. I'll invite Alex as well. I got a costume for her too."

"Man, I'd pay to see Alex Forrest in a Halloween costume! What did you get for her?"

"You'll see. Just be patient. One more thing; I'll bring you your costume, and Forrest's, here. Do me a favor and convince her to change in time for the store's mini party. She really needs to blend in a bit more. And see if you can clock out early. I'll come pick you up. See you!"

Sarah went back to the Buy More and busied herself with various small tasks, every so often looking at her watch. She felt lucky that she did not have any repair orders to work on, or any installs scheduled. Occasionally she sneaked a glance at Forrest, who was efficiently going about selling home appliances; she made a mental note to tell her to try using a tiny bit of her super spy seduction skills on the male customers. It could help her with selling stuff, but Sarah thought that it would be fun to watch as well.

Forrest soon found a chance to slip out of the store and go talk to her partner. She wanted to know if they'd get an assignment, because the day promised to be rather boring.

"G'morning, Bartowski," she said entering Chuck's office.

"Hey, good morning Forrest."

"Any news?"

"Nope. They ain't got anything for us today."

"Damn. I could use a mission right now."

"Boring day?"

"Yeah…"

"Hey, lighten up. Sarah was just over. She told me that she got us Halloween costumes. I strongly suggest that you take the opportunity and at least try to appear normal. It'll help your cover."

"Do you think so, Bartowski?"

"Plus I think it might be entertaining to see you in a Halloween costume, Forrest."

"Screw you Bartowski," she growled.

"I love you too, Alex," he said and blew her a mock kiss. She just gave him the evil eye.

"By the way, Bartowski, how did your day with the asset go yesterday? After the range, I mean?"

"It was great, actually, thanks for asking."

"So you enjoyed yourself?"

"Nothing wrong with having a good time on a mission. About the other thing…"

"Yeah, fine, I'll do it. For her sake, it'd better not be a ridiculous outfit, or I'll kill her myself."

"You'd go against orders so blatantly? Tsk, tsk… Forrest, this is so not like you."

"OK, maybe I won't kill her. But I'll make her life as miserable as I can, to the point that she'll wish we'd thrown her in a deep dark hole," she said venomously. Eventually, Chuck managed to get her to calm down a bit by steering the conversation to mission related topics again before he sent her back to the Buy More.

In the meantime, Sarah had helped Morgan load the merchandise in a Herder and saw him off. She was back at the Nerd Herd desk when Tang approached her.

"Walker! You seen your buddy Grimes anywhere?" he asked brusquely. Sarah briefly glared daggers at the short Asian man. "Yes, Harry, as a matter of fact I did. He went out on a delivery a few minutes ago," she replied.

"What delivery?"

"A home theater system and plasma TV to a customer."

"That's a Nerd Herd job, Walker."

"Not if there is no install required, Harry. Morgan will be back in about an hour."

"He'd better be."

"Don't you have anything better to do than waste my time, Harry?" Properly rebuked and having no cause to find fault in Sarah's actions, Tang stalked off.

About an hour later Morgan called Sarah and told her that he was almost at the Buy More. She immediately went to the loading dock at the back and helped Morgan unload the packages he picked up for her.

"Hey, Sarah, that's a nice little shop and I've been meaning to ask you, how did you find it?"

"Devon," she laughed, "I found a receipt for his and Ellie's costumes from that place."

"Pity we can't do the Sandworm again this year…"

"We'll use it as a static piece of décor. It served honorably, but it's too fragile for further use now."

"You didn't tell me, what's in these boxes?"

"The costumes for me, Chuck and Alex Forrest."

"Forrest, in a Halloween costume? Oh, boy, that's gonna be rich!"

"I know," she giggled.

"What costumes did you pick?"

"Come closer," she said and whispered something in his ear. Morgan's eyes lit up with delight.

"Sarah, that's great!" he said enthusiastically.

"And you can help make it better. This is what I need you to do for me," she said and she leaned in to whisper the new instructions to her best friend.

"Consider it done," he said when she finished outlining her plan.

"Remember, wait for my call."

"Will do," he winked at her and went back to work.

Sarah was in such a great mood, that she did not even realize it when lunchtime came. She decided against changing right then. Morgan was already dressed like Obi-Wan Kenobi, while Anna wore a rather revealing Catwoman outfit, complete with a leather whip. Jeff and Lester were dressed as Jonathan and Martha Kent respectively. Harry Tang was in a ridiculous cowboy outfit, while Big Mike's costume of choice looked something between a '30s gangster and a jazz musician. Sarah decided to change a couple of hours before closing time. She picked up the boxes with the costumes and signaled Forrest to join her. Together they went over to All Auto, where Chuck was waiting. He had finished with the accounting early and his boss had agreed to let him leave early.

"Hi again Chuck," Sarah fairly beamed as she entered his office.

"Is that what I think it is?" he asked pointing at the boxes Sarah was carrying.

"Yes. This is yours, this is for Alex and this is for me," she said passing the boxes around. Chuck closed the window blinds.

"You two can change in here," he said, starting to get out. "I'll change when you are finished."

Back at the Buy More the festive spirit was going strong. Even the customers appeared to be having a good time; a part of the Nerd Herd desk had been turned into a DJ booth, complete with lights.

Meanwhile, inside Chuck's office, Sarah pulled her hair in a ponytail, then donned a pair of black BDU pants, followed by a black sleeveless T-shirt, lace-up combat boots, black baseball cap and a belt with a pistol in a hip holster and a sheathed knife, both replicas, of course. A pair of wire rimmed sunglasses with round lenses completed the outfit. Alex now wore an outfit consisting of a faux alligator skin jacket and leather pants both in a reddish purple color and stiletto heeled boots. She had even let Sarah style her hair, parted on one side and pulled in a bun, as well as do her makeup. Forrest found that she actually liked the outfit, much to her surprise, and went so far as to actually thank Sarah and compliment her taste – the latter indirectly. She even remarked that someone had recently called her by the name of her character, drawing a curious but believing stare and a 'why am I not surprised' remark from Sarah. When Chuck's turn came, Sarah was relieved that she would not have to use too much of the heavy duty hair gel she had on him, but she gave him a pair of black leather pants, black t-shirt, black biker boots, a black leather jacket, a pair of sunglasses and black leather gloves. She also stuck his .45, with an empty magazine, in his waistband so that only the grip was visible. Satisfied with the result, she led the two agents back to the Buy More, pausing only to send the prearranged signal to Morgan.

Morgan in the meantime was hovering near Skip, who was the DJ for the occasion. When his cell phone beeped with Sarah's signal, he whispered something to Skip, who immediately placed a new CD in the player, while Morgan pointed a spotlight at the entrance.

_Dun-dun dun dun-dun, dun-dun dun dun-dun, _began the piece as Morgan turned the light on at the exact moment the doors opened. The effect was exactly what Sarah had intended; into the Buy More walked the Terminator flanked by Sarah Connor and the T-X to the tune of the soundtrack from 'Terminator 2 Judgment Day'. Everyone paused and gawked at the deadly movie character trio that had just entered, before breaking into a spontaneous round of applause. Sarah's smile stretched from ear to ear, while Chuck and Alex did not break character and maintained their stone cold expressions. Chuck even walked up to a green shirt that was manning the fruit punch bowl station and in a passable imitation of Arnold Schwarzenegger demanded "Give me three cups. Now." The green shirt complied with a big smile on his face and Chuck went back to Sarah and Alex, now armed with three plastic cups filled to the brims with Rootin' Raspberry Hi-C fruit punch, one for each of them.

If Sarah's choice of costumes had been a success at the Buy More, it was more so in Ellie and Awesome's party at their apartment complex. In fact, the three were voted as the best theme costume team, with Devon and Ellie in their Adam and Eve costumes taking the second place. By the time the party was over, the combination of beers and Awesome's cocktails had taken its toll on everyone (designated drivers being excepted, naturally), even on Chuck and Alex. The latter managed to stagger back to her apartment, but Devon declared that Chuck was in no condition to drive, so he would have to spend the night with Sarah in her room. She managed to help him get the Terminator costume off and tucked him in before she groggily changed into her pajamas and snuggled up to him. She knew it was wrong, they were still handler and asset after all, but she was more than a little drunk to care. Her final thought before falling asleep was that, Intersect or no Intersect, she would try to enjoy life to the fullest extent possible. And she knew that having Chuck around would probably make it all easier.


	4. Chapter 4 Sarah vs The Wild Card

**A/N:**Time for some action. Another character from the series is introduced in this AU.

Many thanks to all those who took the time to read and post a review.

Standard disclaimers apply.

**Chapter 4. Sarah Vs the Wild Card**

It was yet another cover date for Chuck and Sarah. Frankly, neither of them was particularly looking forward to it. They had pulled two all-nighters in a row on their last mission, which, coming hard on the heels of the riotous alcohol laced Halloween party, had left them pretty much exhausted, so all they wanted was to get some rest. Therefore, it was no surprise that Chuck immediately accepted Sarah's suggestion that they just stay in his apartment and relax. Seemed like the thing to do on a mid-day Sunday date. When Chuck picked her up at her place, she also thought that it might be a good idea to rent a movie and get some pizza too. Shortly afterwards they were in Chuck's pad, sitting on the couch with the amicable company of a large pizza – with no olives per Sarah's request – a six-pack of premium lager and the movie. By the time the end credits had started rolling on the big flat screen TV, they were dangerously close to nosediving on the floor. Chuck did not even have the energy to put away the pizza box and the empty beer cans. He just stripped to his shorts and plopped down on the bed. Sarah, also moving like a zombie, did the same, neither of them even bothering to get under the covers. They were fast asleep seconds later.

A few hours later…

"Chuck? Chuck. Wake up." He felt a hand shake his shoulder and heard a voice call his name.

"Hmmm… Sarah? Yeah, OK, I'm awake. What time is it?"

"Almost eight. We've been out for nearly six hours."

He got up on his elbows and looked at Sarah who had just put her t-shirt back on. She looked refreshed and he had no doubt that he looked the same. Amazing what a few hours of uninterrupted sleep can do. He rolled on his back and watched her absentmindedly as she pulled on her jeans. Finally, after stretching his arms and legs he got up.

"Want some coffee?" he asked her.

"Sure, thanks. I'll just go splash some cold water on my face," she said and entered the bathroom. Chuck busied himself with the coffee maker while whistling a tune that had popped in his head just like that. At times like this, when he was relaxed and content, the pre-CIA happy go lucky Chuck, the Harvard frat guy Chuck, the Chuck that he had almost forgotten he had once been was coming back little by little, if only for a short while. And this had been happening with alarming frequency lately, ever since he had gotten the assignment to protect the Intersect, as the Agent Bartowski part of his personality noticed. This had never happened to him before. While on missions he had always been Agent Bartowski. His Chuck-the-guy-next-door persona only surfaced during the short lonely intervals between assignments. And that had last happened years ago, before Jill. He shook his head to clear the disturbing thoughts and tried to further distract himself by fussing around his small kitchen while the CIA Agent persona took over once again.

"Coffee's almost ready," he called to Sarah.

She went from the sink to the bathroom door dabbing her face dry with a soft towel.

"Come again?" she asked.

"I said, coffee's almost ready."

"Oh, that's great, I'll be over in a-"

She screamed. The black clad intruder whose appearance had triggered her scream clearly did not expect to see her, or her reaction for what the matter, and visibly flinched, but reacted swiftly. A punch to Sarah's solar plexus doubled her over and a karate chop to the back of the neck sent her to the floor in a crumpled heap. Hearing Sarah scream, Chuck raced towards the bathroom. Seeing her down, something snapped inside him. In a blind rage, he launched himself at the intruder, who adopted a defensive stance. Chuck, however, did not oblige the black figure with any of his super agent kung-fu moves. Instead, he surprised the intruder with a brutal football tackle he had last used in college. His right shoulder connected with the intruder's torso just below the ribcage. They both slammed down on the carpeted floor, with a grunt of pain from the intruder, who was thoroughly winded. Chuck rose to his knees, straddling the body on the floor and raised his right fist in preparation of slamming it in the hooded head of the intruder. A familiar and frantic feminine voice stopped him.

"Chuck! Chuck, dammit, stop, it's me!" He pulled the balaclava off the woman's head and found himself looking into a pair of grey eyes. Eyes wide with pain that belonged to a beautiful freckle faced redhead. He let his fist drop to his side.

"Dammit," he said, "you should stop playing Cato Fong every time you drop by for a visit."

"Old habits die hard. Sorry about that, Chucky. Didn't realize you had company." At that Chuck moved over to Sarah. Carefully picking her up, he carried her to the bedroom and gently laid her on the bed. The redhead gingerly pushed herself to a sitting position and checked her body for damage. Finding none, she got up and went to join Chuck. Sarah was just coming to.

"Ow… Chuck, my head…"

"Easy there, Sarah."

"There was someone…"

"Yeah, well, that was an old friend. Does that all the time. Every visit starts with a fistfight."

"So you're like Inspector Clouseau or something?"

"See? You're cracking jokes, so you are fine."

"She doing okay?" asked the redhead from the door. Sarah turned and saw her. And then she flashed, although she didn't really have to.

"No way," she muttered after the flash had subsided.

"Sarah? Sarah Walker?" the redhead was just as stunned.

"Carina Miller?"

"Wait, you two know each other?" It was Chuck's turn to be genuinely dumbstruck, as the two women hugged each other.

"Yeah," said Carina, "we went to high school together."

"We went to the same high school, Carina," Sarah corrected. "You finished school in '96 and I in '98."

"Revealing a woman's age, even indirectly, is not polite, Sarah," Carina mock pouted.

"And hitting me was?" retorted Sarah.

"Sorry about that. I certainly did not expect that Chucky here would have company. Plus, I didn't recognize you with that towel you were holding in front of you."

"Huh, ladies, please rewind. You knew each other from high school?"

"Yes, we did. Carina and I also worked summers together. That's how we became friends."

"I remember those times… Sarah, what about that Scooter guy, y' know, the one from the Wienerlicious?"

"He's the manager now. I go there to have lunch sometimes. But there's no one that we knew at the Orange Orange now."

"Too bad… What is it, Chuck?"

"Oh, nothing. I'm just trying to picture you two in work attire at these places. Not that difficult, as I've seen Sarah's uniforms. And her Buy More green shirt outfit, too. She still keeps them, you know."

"She does?"

"Hey! What were you doing in my closet, Chuck?"

"It was that day that I was helping you tidy up after we repainted your room, remember?" he said with a wink that Carina did not see.

"So, you two are together?" Carina asked disinterestedly.

"Sarah and I work together."

"Sarah is CIA?" Carina was incredulous. "Small world," she added.

"One of the best analysts we have," Chuck said proudly.

"Looks like they are putting you out to pasture, Chucky boy."

"Me? Get real Carina." As he thought about what to say next without compromising the Intersect, Chuck had an idea. He already had his hands in his pockets, so when his fingers found his phone he surreptitiously speed dialed Forrest, so that she could hear the conversation and have her story straight should the need arise. "I'm still at the top of my game," he continued.

"Then why do they have you babysitting a lowly analyst? No offence, Sarah."

"None taken," was Sarah's flippant reply.

"Pilot project. It's a new concept, pairing analysts with field agents for more direct support. I like to think of Sarah as a field analyst."

"Sounds boring. Unless she's analyzing you, or, more specifically your bedtime habits."

"On the contrary, my dear Carina, It's been a very effective arrangement so far."

"Really? That's good, because I'll be needing your help. You'll get your orders tomorrow."

"So tonight you just happened to drop by for a social call?"

"Yeah."

"Then the least I can do as a good host is offer you a drink. Name your poison."

"Ursus Roter?"

"Can do. On the rocks?"

"You still remember that."

"Sarah? What about you?"

"I could use a drink. I think I'll have the same."

"Two red vodkas on the rocks coming right up!"

"Sarah," said Carina after Chuck had gone to fix their drinks, "how on earth did you of all people ever end up working for the Company?"

"Ah, well, it's complicated. Let's just say that I had references."

"Good ones?"

"From a colleague of Chuck's."

"That's pretty vague."

"Has to be in this business."

"How long have you been with the CIA?"

"Heh, the same old Carina. Always fishing for information, just like back in high school. How would you like it if I asked you about Argentina?"

"What? You need a Level 6 clearance just to see the cover of that file!"

"I have the same clearance as Chuck."

"OK, stop. I don't want to know. Too much knowledge in this business tends to get you in a shallow grave."

"Hey, ladies, your drinks are here," Chuck said cheerfully. He then saw their serious expressions. "What? Did I miss anything?"

"Just some girl talk, Chucky," replied Carina.

"And just what brings you in LA this time Carina?" asked Chuck.

"A diamond."

"Finally looking to settle down, huh? You didn't seem like the wife type back in high school," said Sarah.

"I want to steal it. And you will help me."

Forrest's apartment, next morning.

"Good morning, everyone," began the bass voice of Director Graham through the speakers. General Casey, as usual, just grunted. Sarah remembered that in her ever expanding 'Casey Grunt Index' this was grunt number 2. The 'good morning team' grunt. Graham continued with the briefing.

"The reason for Agent Miller's presence today is this man," he said and a file photo appeared on one of the screens. "Pedro Ramirez. He is suspected of being a financier and money launderer for Mexican and Colombian drug cartels. Nothing concrete has ever surfaced about his illegal activities, and on the surface he is a successful banker and art collector. Through an indirect but reliable source, however, we have been able to ascertain that he is currently entrusted with the safekeeping of a very valuable diamond." The picture of the diamond appeared next to Ramirez's photo.

"What we want you to do," General Casey said, "is assist Agent Miller in acquiring said diamond. With it in the government's possession he can be convinced to reveal the money trail in exchange for witness protection. I believe that he will find the alternative very unpleasant. This afternoon, under the guise of party guests Agents Bartowski and Miller will conduct a reconnaissance of Ramirez's villa in Malibu, accompanied by Ms. Walker, who will evaluate the security systems in preparation for the actual, well, heist. Agent Forrest will be on standby to provide overwatch support and extraction as required. Agents Miller and Bartowski will go ahead with the heist the same night, with remote technical and overwatch support by Agent Forrest and Ms. Walker. We need to act fast, people, as Ramirez intends to move the diamond in the next 48 hours."

"Understood sir," said Forrest.

"Very well. Agent Miller, I'd like a few minutes to talk to my team about another case."

"Of course, sir," she replied and went out to the courtyard. Forrest looked at the surveillance monitors to make sure that Carina did not have an ear glued to the door.

"All clear, sir," she said.

"Any questions regarding this latest assignment?"

"One observation sir," said Chuck, "Agent Miller is very capable, but she is a bit of a wild card. She tends to improvise a lot."

"She does have that habit, sir," said Forrest, "in fact-"

"We are aware of what happened in Prague, Agent Forrest," said Graham.

"What happened in Prague?" asked Sarah innocently, only to have Forrest glare daggers at her. "I need not know what happened in Prague," she said meekly. Casey grunted again. Sarah identified it as a number 25, indicating amusement.

"Anyway, we are aware of Agent Miller's propensity to deviate from plans. Therefore, when you secure the diamond, you are to turn it over to one of our own couriers. Under no circumstances is Agent Miller to be entrusted with it. And this concludes the briefing for today. Good luck people." The General signed off. Alex, Sarah and Chuck went out to the courtyard to join Carina. The four then walked to their cars. Carina intended to go back to her hotel, but changed her mind when she noticed Sarah clipping on her Nerd Herd badge.

"What's that?" she asked. "Sarah, you still work at the Buy More?"

"Yep. I'm the IT service section supervisor now."

"To tell you the truth I expected you to be some big shot gaming software developer by now."

"It's a long story, Carina."

"Let's go in my car. You can fill me in on the details while on the way. Besides, I'd like to say hi to Scooter. And to Martin too, if he's still at the Buy More."

"Morgan."

"Excuse me?"

"Morgan. His name is Morgan, not Martin. And yes, he's still working there." Sarah then turned to Forrest. "Alex, would you mind taking the Herder today? I'll go with Carina in her car. We have some catching up to do."

"No problem Walker. Keys?" Sarah tossed Alex the keys.

While driving to the strip mall, Sarah filled Carina in on the details of her life from after high school to the present day. She made no mention of Jill or the Intersect, and did not say how she happened to end up as an analyst with the CIA. Carina was saddened to hear that her friend, one of the few real friends she had, had been unceremoniously kicked out of Stanford and had lost her boyfriend to someone she considered a friend. She offered a few words of comfort, but she knew that there was not much she could do. But she could steer the conversation to less painful subjects.

"Sarah, what about Chuckles? Are you two together? And I mean not just at work…"

"Although our cover is boyfriend-girlfriend, our relationship is purely professional."

"You expect me to believe that a hottie like you and a hunk like Chuck are not all over each other every chance they get?"

"Relationships between agents and analysts are frowned upon, you know."

"That never stopped me before."

"That's because you always were kind of a slut- Ouch!" Carina had punched Sarah lightly on the shoulder.

"Still, I suppose it makes some sense. I mean, considering Jill…"

"Jill?"

"Yeah, Jill Roberts, his partner? His _girlfriend?_"

"I heard that she died. Wait, did you say girlfriend?"

"She did die, but they were close, at least I think they were. He didn't tell you?"

"It was none of my business Carina. I just knew that they had been working together." Sarah tried to appear casual about it, but inside she was anguished. Jill had been her friend and had betrayed her. She had been Chuck's partner and girlfriend and she had betrayed him too, both personally and professionally. Now she began to realize why Chuck was so uptight most of the time, despite her frequent but discreet displays of affection towards him that went above and beyond the requirements of their cover relationship. He was still getting over Jill, her death and her betrayal. And she understood why he had not told her everything about his relationship with Jill. He did not want to burden her with his problems too.

When they arrived at the mall, Carina parked her car and went to the Wienerlicious to say hi to Scooter. Sarah went to the Buy More and got straight to work in the cage. She wanted to take her frustration over what she'd learned out on some unfeeling pieces of computer hardware.

Some time later, Carina said goodbye to Scooter and went to the Buy More. She wanted to talk to Sarah, but she also needed new iPod speakers. Seconds after she entered the store, a familiar voice greeted her.

"Hello Carina. It's been a while."

"Morgan, so nice to see you." As she shook his hand, she noticed how Jeff and Lester were looking at her. Smiling, she leaned down and kissed Morgan on both cheeks.

"Wow, you must have missed me. And you didn't call me Martin this time."

"I missed both you and Sarah."

"You want to surprise her?"

"Actually, I saw her yesterday, when she was on a date with her boyfriend."

"Oh, I see. I can still call her, if you want to talk to her."

"Not yet, Morgan, thanks. Right now I need speakers for my iPod."

"I can help you with that too. Shall we?" he asked offering her his arm. She took it and allowed him to guide her to the appropriate section.

"Grimes! What are you doing there? Do you want the store sued for-" yelled Tang.

"Just helping a customer, who also happens to be an old friend, Harry, so bugger off," Morgan said casually. Carina looked at him with an amused smile. Morgan just shrugged. "That's Harry for you," he said.

"About my speakers, Morgan…"

"Ah, yes. Here. Take a look at these. Top of the line. Not the most expensive model, but the best value for money."

"They look nice. Do you have a bigger model?"

"Why bigger? You can connect the iPod to your stereo system, you know that."

"They are not for home. You know, I like to listen to music in my hotel room. My job has me traveling all over the world."

"I see. In that case, yes, we have something bigger. Better sound quality and easier to pack, too."

"Thank you," she said, smiling sweetly. "By the way, who are those two creepy guys?"

"Who? Oh, you mean Jeff and Lester. They may act like pervs sometimes, but they are mostly harmless."

"Right… Morgan?"

"Yes?"

"I know that I wasn't very nice to you back in high school and for that I'm truly sorry. You see, I talked to Sarah earlier today and she told me how you were always there for her. After Stanford and everything… Thank you for being there for my friend. Strange as it may seem to you, I don't have many real friends, but Sarah really is one of them."

"Carina, Sarah is like a sister to me. I'd give anything to see her happy. Now that she finally has someone in her life who can-"

"You mean Chuck?" interrupted Carina.

"You've met him?"

"Yes."

"He's a good man. And I'm happy for her. She really loves him and I can tell that he feels the same."

"I know. But it looks like they are taking it too slow. Maybe it's just me, but I think they might need a bit of a push in the right direction."

"Carina, I think it's best to let them deal with it their own way. Don't try to fix something that ain't broke - yet. But if I see that they need a push, I'll give them one, but only when the time is right."

"Wow, Morgan, that was… That was sweet, perceptive and… so… brotherly. Never mind. Listen, I want to take Sarah to a party later today, and we have to deal with some wardrobe issues," she said and smiled.

"Say no more. I'll get her for you." He took Carina to the registers. "Wait for us at the Orange Orange," he told her." Carina paid for her speakers, deposited them in her car and went to the frozen yogurt shop, where she and Sarah had once worked. She took a table at the window and soon afterwards Morgan arrived with Sarah in tow. He left the girls there and went back to the Buy More, saying that he had work to do.

"Was it just me, or were you actually nice to Morgan?" asked Sarah after they got some fro-yo.

"You are lucky to have him as a friend, Sarah. He's a nice guy. I was just too stupid to see that back in school. Anyway, we have to talk about today's mission."

"I'm listening."

"We forgot to go over one of the most important things; what you are going to wear today."

"Meaning…"

"It's a party in Malibu. You'll have to blend in. This in turn means that you need a dress."

"Oh…"

"I take it that you don't have a suitable dress."

"Not really."

"I can fix that. We can get Chucky to put it on the Company's tab."

"That's easy. He works over there," she said pointing to the All Auto.

"Chuck is selling car accessories?" Carina laughed.

"Actually, he's the accountant there. It's just a cover job."

"And your job? Cover too?"

"I had the job before I started working for the CIA. Now, it's a convenient cover as well. Same goes for Alex."

"Yeah, about her. What's her deal? I mean, with her reputation and all."

"Joint CIA/NSA venture. That's all I can say."

"Okay. Now, can you get off work for a little longer so that we can go shopping for the mission?"

The two women finished their frozen yogurt lunch and left the Orange Orange. Sarah called Big Mike to let him know that she needed an extended break for personal reasons. The Buy More manager consented without a murmur, because he knew that Sarah was valuable to his store, not only as the Nerd Herd supervisor, but also as a sort of moderator for the power trip Tang was on ever since he became assistant manager. She held the team together and that was the absolute truth. Besides, the kid needed a break.

Sarah and Carina went to see Chuck, who gave them a CIA issued credit card for their shopping trip. Carina picked a nice dress and matching shoes for Sarah, who thought that it was too revealing, but Carina brushed off the protest by claiming that it was perfect for the mission. Carina also insisted that Sarah buy a bikini and wear it under the dress instead of traditional underwear. The explanation she gave was that they might have to take a dip in the pool at the party. Sarah, being new to the undercover stuff, had no choice but to agree. After the little shopping trip in the mall, Sarah left Carina with Chuck and returned to the Buy More to finish her shift. Fortunately, she had the early shift and in addition a bogus offsite service call was placed with the Nerd Herd, so that she was back in Alex's apartment in time to change for the mission. When it was time to go, Sarah and Carina were wearing very revealing one piece dresses that would have driven every self respecting male wild. Chuck wore a lightweight white linen suit over a plain black t-shirt, which made him look dashing. Forrest drove them to Malibu and dropped them off near Ramirez's place. The three mingled with the guests, appearing to enjoy themselves, with Sarah all the while noting the details of the security system. They met again in a convenient quiet corner of the garden.

"OK," began Sarah, "there are five motion sensitive cameras on the grounds with day/night imaging capability. They are equipped for remote access, so they will not be too difficult to bypass. Form what I can see, the security system is good but not exactly top of the line. That still leaves us having to deal with the vault security though. We need to evaluate that as well."

"No problem. Chucky, cover us while Sarah and I go inside to find the vault."

"Be careful there. Carina, please don't do anything stupid."

"No need to worry, Chucky boy," Carina said with a wink.

They managed to slip inside the villa unnoticed and Sarah and Carina began the search for the vault. Luckily, there were no cameras inside and soon they chanced upon a large room enclosed by double pane armor glass on one side. A magnificent collection of paintings and sculptures inside confirmed that it was the room they were looking for. Carina took a keycard cloning device from her purse and got to work on the reader.

"Carina, what are you doing?"

"Relax Sarah, I'm making us a keycard for later. Bingo!" The door opened.

"Carina!"

"C'mon, Sarah, don't you want to take a peek inside?"

"What are you two up to down there?" came Chuck's voice in their earpieces.

"Carina opened the vault door," answered Sarah.

"Shit! I'm coming down to cover you."

"Hurry, Chuck, please, before Carina does something stupid."

"Hello ladies," said a voice with a Hispanic accent behind them, "what are you doing here?"

Thinking quickly, Carina put on a bimbo façade. "Uh, hi," she said, "we were just looking for the ladies' room and the door was open... I'm Suzie. This is my friend Lizzie."

"The ladies' room is that way," said Ramirez, smiling. "But it is fortunate for me that you got lost. I would like to show you around my place."

Sarah smiled, trying to act like Carina. "We'd love that," she said, "and you have an amazing collection here. I really like that one. Diamonds are a girl's best friend, after all." She pointed to the diamond on its pedestal.

"Whoa… What do I have to do to get THAT on my finger?" teased Carina.

"Alas, ladies, this is not mine to give. It belongs to a friend."

"Aren't you afraid of someone coming to steal it?"

"Not really, no. You see, if it is removed from the pedestal, the alarm goes off and the room goes into lockdown, while anesthetic gas is pumped in."

At that moment Chuck appeared. "Oh, there you are sis," he told Carina. "I've been looking all over for you. I hope they did not cause any trouble sir," he told Ramirez.

"Oh, no, no trouble at all. I was just showing them my art collection."

"It certainly is amazing. But the paintings in the corridor are good too. I should know, I own a small art gallery in West Hollywood."

"Ah, a connoisseur. They are all originals, you know," Ramirez said, taking Chuck to the corridor to continue discussing art.

"OK, Sarah, anything else on the security system here?" Carina asked in a low voice when the two men left. Sarah looked carefully at the pedestal and flashed. Luckily, Carina was too busy looking towards the door to notice.

"There is something that Mr. Ramirez forgot to mention. Like the 20000 volts of electricity waiting to fry anyone who puts his hands on the diamond."

"Any way around that?"

"You're asking _me_?"

"You are supposed to be the brainiac analyst, Sarah."

"I'd use compressed air to get it off the pedestal."

"Like that?" Carina asked, picking up a fire extinguisher.

"Yeah. Wait, what are you-" Without warning, Carina pressed down on the extinguisher's handle and a jet of carbon dioxide sent the diamond flying from the pedestal into Sarah's hands. Carina then kicked a heavy chair to the door, preventing it from closing. As the alarm blared, Chuck knocked Ramirez out with a right cross to the jaw and raced back to the vault as the girls came running out.

"What the-" he said.

"It's not my fault," said Sarah.

"Fuck it. Girls, RUN!"

The three raced to the garden. Two of Ramirez's goons tried to stop them, but Chuck and Carina took them down, sending one of them splashing in the pool. Another aimed a gun at Sarah, but Chuck knocked him out by throwing a tray at him like a Frisbee. They eventually made it down to the beach, with several men not far behind them.

"Carina! Get Sarah out of here, I'll cover you," said Chuck while crouching behind a rock outcropping, gun drawn.

"Take care Chuckles! See you later!" Carina pulled her dress off and motioned for Sarah to do the same. Sarah now understood what Carina had meant about the bikini. She pressed a button on her watch and a jet ski magically surfaced on the water. The girls waded into the sea and then swam for the jet ski, hearing Chuck lay down covering fire for them. He paused only to make sure the girls hade made a clean getaway before emptying the rest of the clip in the direction of Ramirez's henchmen, who decided that prudence dictated that they take cover behind some rocks.

"Bartowski! Over here!" Forrest had driven the van on the beach to pick up Chuck. She covered him as he scrambled inside. Then, pressing the accelerator pedal to the floor, took off towards the coastal road.

"Where are Walker and Miller, Bartowski?"

"They got away by sea. Carina improvised. Again. They have the diamond."

"They? They have it? Can you be more specific as to which one has it?"

"Sarah, I think."

"Can you contact them?" she asked and he nodded in reply.

"Carina, Sarah, do you copy?" he said, speaking in his watch radio.

"Chuck?" Sarah sounded relieved.

"Forrest and I are OK and on the road. Where are you heading to?" He heard Sarah repeat the question to Carina before replying.

"Chuck, Carina says that you can meet us at her hotel."

"Roger that. We're on our way."

Carina's hotel, half an hour later

Carina had taken Sarah to her room where the two girls took turns in the shower to wash off the sea salt and then, after changing into dry clothes, went to the lobby to wait for Chuck and Alex. The two agents arrived shortly afterwards, but suddenly all four were surrounded by Ramirez and his men.

"You thought you could just take the diamond from me and walk away? I'd like it back now, please," Ramirez said. He appeared at ease. He could afford to, since five guns were pointed at the three women and the man who was with them.

"I have it," said Chuck. "Come and get it." That was the cue for the three agents to spring into action. In the general melee, Sarah managed to slip away and run towards the offices at the back. Looking over her shoulder, she saw a big man running after her. She managed to get in an office and locked the door behind her. Taking a look around, she realized that she was in the mail room. Thinking fast, she typed something on a computer and printed it. Then she took a Fed Ex box, shoved the diamond inside and stuck the printed page on the box top. When the thug finally broke the door open, he saw Sarah holding the box over the priority mail chute.

"Do you know where this is going?" she asked him.

"Err… No."

"Neither do I. So, step back or I let go." The man obeyed.

"Now what?" he asked.

"Gimme a minute. I haven't thought it that far," she replied. Fortunately, Forrest burst into the room and knocked the man unconscious. Sarah turned to express her relief and gratitude, but the package slipped from her fingers. She scrambled to retrieve it, but it was already going down the chute.

"Uh-oh…" Sarah wore an expression of guilt, like a child that had just broken a vase.

"What's the matter, Walker?"

"Nothing…"

Forrest's apartment, the following morning.

"Once again, congratulations for a job well done, people," said General Casey with a satisfied grin.

"Although Agent Miller deviated from protocol again, the mission can be considered a success," added Graham.

"Thank you sir" chorused Sarah, Chuck, Alex and Carina.

"That still leaves us with the small matter of the diamond's whereabouts," said Casey, "Agent Forrest, you will have to-" he was interrupted by a knock on his office door. An agent entered escorting a young Fed Ex courier.

"I have a package for a J. Casey," said the young man nervously. Casey signed for it and shook it trying to guess what was inside. Realization dawned upon the two directors. "You didn't…" muttered Graham. Sarah could only hitch her shoulders and shrug while smiling helplessly. Chuck, Carina and Alex were all smiling broadly. Casey thanked them once again and ended the video call.

Carina said her goodbyes to Chuck and Alex and took Sarah out to the courtyard to chat.

"It was nice seeing you again Sarah."

"Likewise, Carina."

"You did well."

"Thank you. Can I ask you something? What happened in Prague with Forrest?" Carina whispered something to Sarah's ear. When she finished Sarah was laughing. "Really?" she said.

"It's the truth," replied Carina. "One more thing, Sarah; take care of Chucky. He's a nice guy and, as much as it pains me to admit it, he's the only guy that has ever managed to resist me. Twice. The first time was years ago. The second was yesterday. He's really into you. And I certainly know that you _like_ him."

"Who, Chuck? No, he doesn't want me. We're just working together."

"He probably doesn't know it himself yet. But I do. Trust me on that Sarah."

With that, the two old friends hugged again.

"Hey, where's that stud brother of yours, Sarah? I'd like to say hi to him."

"He's working an extended shift at the hospital today. And, Carina? Hands off my brother. He already has a girlfriend and it's serious."

"OK. Tell him I said hi. And remember what I told you. Here, take my card. Anytime you need to talk, or you want some advice, call me. It's my private number. I'll be calling you between assignments. When I come to Snoresville again, we can go out just the two of us and have fun."

"I'd love that. Take care, Carina."

"You too. Give my regards to Morgan too. Tell him I'll never call him Martin again."

"I will. See you soon, I hope."

"Don't worry. Bye!"

After Carina left, Sarah walked back to her place. Carina's observation about Chuck echoed in her head. Could it be that the CIA agent really had feelings for her? She decided that she would find that out someday. She did not want to rush things, however. At the very least, she could be Chuck's friend, someone he could turn to and share his thoughts and find comfort with. But for now, she had to go to work at the Buy More. She went to the Herder and leaned on the car while waiting for Forrest.


	5. Chapter 5 Sarah vs The Phantom Menace

**A/N: **As always, I'd like to thank all of you who read my stuff, and all those who take the time to post a review.

All the usual disclaimers apply.

**Chapter 5. Sarah Vs The Phantom Menace**

Sarah was in bed but could not sleep, despite the late hour and the fact that she had to open the store in the morning. She stopped her tossing and turning and, for the hundredth time, the events of the past few weeks were being projected in her head like a movie.

"_You didn't think that we'd actually let you keep that, did you?" asked Chuck from __her door pointing at the DVD that they had retrieved from Jill's hiding place in the Stanford library earlier as she was about to put it on the tray in her computer._

"_I have to know, Chuck. I need to know, I WANT to know," she replied, her tone almost begging._

"_OK," he nodded, understanding._

_She opened the __video folders contained in the DVD, found the file titled 'Walker, Sarah L.' and clicked it. Professor Fleming appeared on the screen, obviously adjusting a hidden video camera._

"_Subject number 218. Walker, Sarah, senior year student. This is her first interview," he said looking at the camera and then called his secretary on the intercom with a curt "Send Sarah in". The door opened, but, instead of Sarah, another girl enters. A pretty brunette in jeans and T-shirt, with her hair in a ponytail and glasses._

"_Jill?" asked the professor, "This is not a good time. I'm expecting another student."_

"_Sarah Walker," Jill replied undaunted, "She never got your message."_

"_What? Why?"_

"_You put Sarah on the CIA recruitment track," Jill said in an accusing tone._

"_I have to send all top test results to the Agency, Jill. Sarah's scores were off the charts. Her essay responses correlate to 98% of the subliminal images in the exam. Her ability to store and process information…"_

"_I want my friend out of this," Jill said firmly._

"_I can't help you Jill. The Agency will never let go of a recruit that promising. They want her for the Omaha Project."_

"_The Omaha Project?" Jill sounded horrified. "That's a military operation! Dammit, you can't do this to Sarah! She's a good person, NOT cut out for this! Sarah's got too much heart for this kind of work! You CAN'T put her out in the field, SHE WON'T SURVIVE!" Jill was desperate, almost reduced to pleading for her friend._

"_It's out of my hands now, Jill."_

"_So they aren't even going to give her a choice?"_

"_She's in, no matter what," Fleming replied flatly._

_Jill was crushed, but appeared thoughtful for a minute. Then she spoke._

"_What if she cheated, copied all the answers? That would invalidate the results, right?"_

"_Yes," the Professor said guardedly._

"_All right, now__, Professor, __you__ are going to help __me__." The determination in her voice told Professor Fleming that she would not accept no as an answer.._

_Sarah looked up from the computer and turned to Chuck almost unbelieving, tears running down her flushed cheeks. It took her a few moments before she was able to speak._

"_Jill framed me for cheating to protect me… Why didn't she tell me about it in the first place?"_

"_She couldn't," Chuck said, his voice choked with emotion, "they had already recruited her."_

"_Must have been really hard on her, not being able to tell me. I wish I could talk to her, tell her I finally understand why she did all this; that I mostly forgave her. And maybe, since she had a good for framing me for cheating and getting me expelled, she had a good reason to steal the Intersect too." Sarah sniffled and looked into Chuck's misting eyes._

"_Maybe she had a good reason for sending it to you. And, Sarah, for your own safety, no one can know about this," he said and took the disk, carefully replacing it in its case. Then he left, pausing outside Sarah's room to collect himself before going to Forrest to give her the disk for forwarding to HQ._

_Sarah wiped her tears and went to the trash cans out in the courtyard, where she had thrown all her Stanford memorabilia earlier that day. She took the cardboard box back out and from it __extracted the broken frame of a photograph of her, Jill and the rest of her sorority sisters. She carefully removed the picture from the frame and clutched it to her chest and a fresh wave of tears welled up in her eyes as she remembered that day in junior year when she and Jill first met. _

Sarah then remembered what Chuck had told her under the influence of the truth serum they had all been exposed to. He clearly said that nothing real could ever happen between them. She did not know that Chuck was trained to withstand truth serum and his words had devastated her. She loved him with all her heart, but to him she was just an asset and their relationship was just a cover.

Then came the kiss. They were at the docks, as Chuck was trying to stop the timer on what they believed was a massive bomb. She had refused to leave him, claiming that the Intersect might help defuse it. Even when they realized that she couldn't help, she still insisted on staying with him. They argued; he pulled his gun on her, which was meaningless, as they were about to die anyway; they sort of agreed that they brought out the worst in each other. And with just a few seconds to go, Chuck had grabbed her and pulled her into a passionate kiss, which she hungrily returned. And then… nothing. The timer reached zero and there was no cataclysmic explosion, no searing ball of fire and then oblivion. Whatever that thing was, it was not a bomb. Later, Chuck had once again distanced himself from her, telling her that the kiss was an impulsive mistake he was not likely to repeat. And that ripped her world apart. Again. Sarah curled up in a fetal position as the sobs wracked her body. Soon, still crying, she drifted off into a fitful sleep…

While Sarah was agonizing over her relationship with Chuck, or lack thereof, the object of her darkest, most sinful desires and his partner Alex Forrest were once again at the docks, with a tactical team and a bomb squad.

"No bomb," said the chief EOD technician, "the timer was just metering an oxygen device."

"Is it biological?" asked Forrest.

"Beats the hell outta me," answered the EOD man stripping off his heavy armor suit, "whatever that is, it's not goin' boom. Feel free to open it. We're done here."

"Shall we, Agent Forrest?" asked Chuck.

"By all means, Agent Bartowski, you do the honors." Forrest's humorous tone matched Chuck's. It was the relief of being alive. Had it been a bomb, they'd both have been dead, or rather vaporized.

The capsule shaped object opened; the two agents peeked inside and immediately jumped back looking at each other. Their expressions were identical. It was as though they had seen a ghost. Well, that was true, in a way.

"Oh shit, that's Jill!" exclaimed Chuck.

"I didn't kill her?" Forrest was dumbfounded. It indeed was Jill Roberts that lay unconscious in that container, breathing normally, mesh gauze covering the left side of her chest.

A few hours later, in a CIA facility, Chuck and Alex watched Jill as she lay restrained on an examination table, still unconscious.

"I don't get it," said Chuck, "how can she still be alive?" Forrest merely shrugged. A few minutes passed in silence, when suddenly one of the monitors started beeping, announcing that Jill had regained consciousness. A nurse went inside to check on her and Jill mumbled something in her ear. Chuck keyed the comms and asked the nurse what Jill had said. The answer was "sounded like 'Sarah'."

Sarah was at the Buy More, sitting at her usual place behind the Nerd Herd desk, still moping over Chuck's rejection. She had to keep reminding herself that she couldn't let it show, so as not to compromise their cover. The damned cover. Had it been different, she and Chuck might have a shot at a normal relationship. One of the few good things that had happened recently was that Harry Tang had quit the Buy More and taken another job, in Hawaii no less. Sarah knew that it was courtesy of the CIA, as he had stumbled upon a debriefing of Team Walker with General Casey in the home theater room and they could not afford to have him around. Fortunately, Tang did not know about the Intersect and that was the only reason he was still alive.

"SARAH!" she heard her name called and looked up. It was Big Mike.

"Yes, Big Mike?"

"Corral the Nerds and meet me in the break room now," her boss said and stalked off. Soon Sarah, Anna, Skip, Jeff and Lester were waiting in the break room. Big Mike entered a minute later with Morgan.

"Listen up people," the manager said, "tomorrow is when you atone for all the times you just sit here doing nothing. We are having a big promotional sale on the new series of HDTVs and associated home theater systems. We'll have lots of people here and I'm reassigning you Nerds except for Walker to crowd control. Grimes, you know the drill. Train them and get them ready. You have an hour after closing time, which will count as overtime for everyone."

"I will get them ready, boss," Morgan said reassuringly.

Sarah had just exited the employees only area of the Buy More when she spotted Chuck. He was looking for her. It was the look on his face that had alarm bells ringing inside her head. Chuck looked very upset about something. He saw her as well and almost ran to her.

"Sarah, we need to talk," he said.

"About yesterday? I think you made it clear that-"

"No, well, yes, in a way." He pulled her aside, so that no one could hear them. "Jill is alive," he said tersely. Predictably, Sarah was shocked.

"Jill is alive?" she echoed. "How is this possible, what happened?"

"We don't know. She won't talk to anyone."

"Not even you?"

"She doesn't know I'm here. She hasn't seen Forrest either. But she specifically asked for you."

"Me?"

"Yes, you, Sarah. Come on."

The drive to the CIA facility in downtown LA passed in deathly silence. Chuck concentrated on driving, while Sarah tried to sort out the flood of emotions coursing through her. Jill had come back from the dead. How would she face her old nemesis? Would she get any answers as to why the Intersect had been sent to her?

"About time you two got here," grumbled Forrest as the two entered the room in the facility's basement. Sarah looked through the two way mirror at the still form of Jill.

"How am I going to do this?" she asked, suddenly overcome with uncertainty.

"Just be yourself, Sarah, be a friend," Chuck said to encourage her.

"Remember, Walker, your friend there is a rogue CIA trained assassin," Forrest warned. Sarah just gave her a sad look tinged with fear, but went into the room anyway, after putting on an earwig.

"Jill?" she said hesitantly, "Jill, it's me."

"Who… Who are you?" Jill asked and looked up. "Sarah? No, NO! It's not you! What did you fuckers do with the real Sarah?" she cried.

"Jill, it's me, I swear!"

"I don't believe you," Jill said resolutely. Sarah moved back towards the mirror.

"I'd like to come out now," she said.

"Natural born interrogator," Forrest commented dryly to Chuck. None of the two agents made a move to unlock the door. Sarah decided to try again with Jill. Steeling herself, she turned to face her old friend again.

"Jill," she began, "unless we are in the Twilight Zone and I am indeed Sarah's clone, I assure you it's really me. I'm Sarah Walker."

"Prove it."

"How?"

Jill said something in a guttural language that was totally unfamiliar to Forrest and Bartowski.

"Jill, are you serious? They are watching us," Sarah said.

"Do it."

Having no choice, Sarah replied in the same language. Jill smiled.

"Your Klingon's a bit rusty, Sarah."

"I've been busy lately."

"The Intersect. You opened the email."

"Yes."

"Your computer?"

"Destroyed. A virus of some sort fried it."

"Yeah, didn't have time to remove that before sending it. So you're the only one now."

"Looks like it. There is one thing I don't get, Jill. Why did you do it? Who saved you?"

"_They_ did."

"_They _did? _THEY_? Who's _they_? Couldn't you be any more cryptic?"

"Come closer." Sarah leaned over Jill. Forrest considered that a mistake.

"Well, Jill?"

"Sorry, Sarah," Jill said. She had freed an arm and put a choke hold on Sarah who cried out in fear. "Untie the rest," Jill snapped to Sarah, who obeyed. The door opened and Forrest and Chuck rushed inside, guns drawn. Jill picked up a wicked looking syringe from a tray and held it millimeters from Sarah's neck.

"Let her go, Roberts," Forrest growled.

"Hello Forrest. Think you can finish the job this time?" Jill mocked and then she saw Chuck.

"Chuck? What are you doing here?"

"Let Sarah go, Jill!"

"Can't do that just yet, sorry." She dragged Sarah to the corridor as alarms blared, Chuck and Alex on their heels. Heavily armed security personnel arrived to back them up. Jill and Sarah got in an elevator.

"What's the code for the elevator Chuck?" demanded Jill.

"I have a shot," said Forrest.

NO, No you DON'T!" screamed Sarah, "I'm susceptible to bullets!"

"The code, Chuck, now! I'll kill her, I swear!"

"55-08-38."

Jill punched in the code. The doors closed and the elevator started moving. Jill released Sarah.

"You knew I wasn't going to kill you, right Sarah?"

"NO! No, I did not know that, Jill! You are, after all, a rogue spy!"

"I'm not rogue, Sarah. Never been… Why is this thing slowing down already? It's too soon…"

"Does that mean…?"

"Yup."

"OK, do it." Jill and Sarah assumed the hostage taker and hostage positions again. The doors opened.

"Back off or I'll kill her… Tommy?"

"Hello Jill," said the man. He had an ugly scar on his face. Sarah saw him and flashed. Yep, he's a very nasty guy, affiliated with Fulcrum, whatever that is.

"Who's your friend, Jill?" continued Tommy, "Let her go and come with me. We wouldn't want you to kill some innocent bystander. Let's be friends again."

"We were never friends, Tommy."

"Ouch, now my feelings are hurt." The elevator doors closed again. Jill released Sarah once again.

"Jill? Who is this Scarface, Tommy?"

"Nobody."

"Nobody, huh? What is Fulcrum?" Can you tell me that?"

"Where did you hear about Fulcrum?"

"Up here," Sarah pointed to her head in reply.

"You remember all the intel? Amazing! Is it always that fast?"

"Yes. Now, Jill, answer me, what is Fulcrum?"

"Sorry, Sarah…"

"For what?"

"For this," Jill said and jabbed the needle in Sarah's arm, pushing the plunger. Sarah passed out almost immediately, but Jill grabbed her before she fell and gently laid her down on the elevator floor making her as comfortable as possible, before escaping in the shaft. It was there when Alex and Chuck found Sarah a few minutes later, still unconscious.

"Sarah, wake up!" Chuck said urgently.

"Oh, hi, my handsome prince." Sarah was still drowsy from the drug. Forrest knelt down next to Chuck over Sarah.

"Walker, you imbecile, get your shit together," she said harshly. Sarah's eyes widened.

"Yikes, not good, not good, evil bitch!" She tried to fight Alex off.

The drug had mostly worn off when Chuck took Sarah home. She was still a little groggy, but he assured her that she had not been given a full dose and it would be out of her system in a few hours. As he turned to leave, she stopped him by putting a hand on his forearm.

"So, what happens now? Are you going after Jill?" she asked.

"No, Jill's not our problem. She could be halfway across the country by now. Someone else will have to go after her."

"But Chuck, she was your partner," she said, "and your girlfriend," she added hesitantly with a touch of jealousy.

"Your safety is my priority now, Sarah," he said looking at her straight in the eyes. The door to her apartment opened and Devon stood in the doorway.

"Hey, here you are, sis, hi, Chuck," he said.

"Devon, hello," replied Chuck.

"Guys, listen, Ellie's making dinner. We'd love to have you two and Alex join us as well, unless you have other plans."

"No plans, bro," she said.

"It's settled then, right Chuck?"

"Right."

As Ellie was setting the table, Sarah approached Forrest.

"Alex, back at the facility, Jill said something about you finishing the job. It was you who shot her, wasn't it?"

"Yes."

"Does Chuck know?"

"It was in my report. He read it." Before Sarah could say anything else, Ellie called them to the table.

They were going through their dinner when Sarah excused herself to go to the bathroom. As she was going back to rejoin the others, a pair of hands grabbed her and pulled her into her room. The hands belonged to Jill. Sarah would have screamed, if Jill didn't have a hand over her mouth.

"Shhh… Sarah, it's me, Jill."

"What the hell are you doing here Jill? One scream from me and Chuck and Alex go into combat mode. They are in the next room."

"Don't worry, I'm not gonna hurt you. I just need to talk to Chuck. Find a way to send him here. It'll be fine, I promise."

"O- OK."

"Good girl… Hey, Sarah."

"What?"

"Nice place you got here."

"It's Devon's, actually."

"You still live with your brother?"

"Yeah."

Sarah returned to the table and when no one else was looking she mouthed the phrase 'Jill's in my room' to Chuck, who excused himself and got up. Out of sight of the others, he drew his gun and silently entered Sarah's room. Jill was there sitting at Sarah's desk.

"You won't need the gun, Chuck."

"Really? Give me a good excuse not to terminate you right here."

"I can explain everything."

"You can?"

"Yes, Please understand, it had nothing to do with you."

"Then why did you do what you did, Jill? Why didn't you tell me anything?"

"It's complicated, Chuck." She got up, moved close to him and hugged him. "I wish it could be different… I really missed you, Chuck." Sarah just happened to be passing by and her door was slightly ajar. She peeked inside and saw Jill hugging Chuck. Jill's head rested on his chest, her eyes closed and a small smile on her face. Seeing this scene, Sarah went ballistic. Anger and jealousy took over, shoving aside any notion of rational thought. She hurried back to the dining room and, catching Alex's attention, she motioned with her eyes towards her room and mouthed the word 'Jill'. Alex nodded and got up, saying she had to go to the bathroom. Hurrying down the short corridor, she drew her faithful SIG Sauer and burst into Sarah's room. Jill was gone, but Chuck was still there. She glared at him; they had a lot to talk about afterwards. Sarah in the meantime had regretted her rash actions and hurried to her room to see if she could do anything to prevent a shootout. She only found Chuck and Forrest glaring at each other. Finally, Forrest suggested that they look for Jill in the apartment complex. Alex would look out back, while Chuck and Sarah would secure Forrest's apartment. Out in the courtyard, Sarah noticed that the lights in Forrest's apartment were on and told Chuck. He shushed her and motioned to her to take her shoes off, so that she would not make any noise. He silently unlocked the door and went in, gun in hand and Sarah behind him. Jill was there, trying to get access to Forrest's computer, a Beretta on the desk next to her. Sarah gasped at the sight of the gun. The slight noise was enough to alert Jill, who whirled around, weapon at the ready.

"Stand down, Jill," commanded Chuck.

"I'm not rogue," Jill said.

"Please, don't shoot," Sarah said, moving behind Chuck; she knew he would protect her. Jill lowered her gun.

"I said, I'm not rogue. Chuck, I didn't mean to hurt you. The Intersect was a mission. I was recruited by an outfit called Fulcrum. Special access group inside the CIA."

"Bullshit," said Chuck harshly, "we'd know about it."

"Chuck, they knew who I was, my record, my activation codes, everything. They wanted me to shed my Agency contacts and go deep. Only then did I realize that it was an internal strike and that Fulcrum had plans for the Intersect intel."

"Why Sarah?" asked Chuck.

"Yeah, Jill, _why Sarah_?" emphasized Sarah.

"I did not know who to trust. I needed a friend who wasn't a spy; who didn't know anything about Fulcrum, the Intersect, or Sandwall." At the mention of the last word, Sarah experienced yet another flash.

"Operation Sandwall," she muttered, "Chuck, I think Jill's telling the truth."

"What? Did you flash?"

"Yes. Sandwall was a contingency plan in case the Intersect was compromised." Satisfied with the answer, Chuck lowered his .45. Unfortunately, Alex chose that moment to enter. She saw Jill and immediately brought her gun up to fire.

"Forrest, NO!" Sarah and Chuck exclaimed together. It was too late. The sound of the gunshot was deafening inside the apartment. The bullet caught Jill square on the chest and the impact sent her flying to the floor. Sarah jumped in fear, her hands jerking upwards to cover her mouth and muffling a scream of terror. Her back made contact with the wall and she sank to the floor, sobbing silently. She had just seen her friend getting shot. Chuck stood for a second in shock, and then moved to examine Jill.

"Time to finish the job," said Forrest, pointing the gun at Jill's head as she lay on the floor.

"Alex, no, Sarah flashed. Jill is not rogue," said Chuck to stop her. He felt Jill's chest for the wound and was relieved when his hand made contact with something hard. He ripped Jill's shirt open and confirmed that she was wearing a vest. Jill opened her eyes, coughed and sat up on the floor.

"You should aim for the head next time, Forrest," she said as Chuck and the NSA agent helped her up. Jill took her body armor vest off and threw it on the couch. Sarah picked it up and examined it, focusing on the strike face of the ceramic insert that had stopped the bullet.

"I don't get it, Jill. How come you're still alive?"

"I don't really know about that Sarah, how they did it, they probably used one of the European clinics."

"You know why they kept you alive?"

"Yes," Jill said as she changed into one of Forrest's t-shirts.

"Should I nuke some popcorn, or beat the answer out of you?"

"No thanks, Forrest, I'll talk."

"Darn."

"You know what happened at first. I downloaded the Intersect and blew up the computer. Then I sent it to you, Sarah. At that point Forrest here shot me. I must have almost died, until the paramedics brought me back. But it was a Fulcrum team. I told them I was the Intersect, so they kept me alive. They wanted to get the data out of my head."

"So, they think you are the Intersect?"

"Yep. This is why I need your help; Fulcrum has moles everywhere. I need to be absolutely certain that I'm turning myself in to the real CIA."

"I can help you with that! I'll use the Intersect. If I flash on whoever they send, I'll know if they are Fulcrum or not. If I don't flash, we'll be in the clear anyway."

"This can work. Good idea, Sarah."

"We still need a place for the transfer to go down. Somewhere public with lots of people."

"Public place, lots of people; I think I know such a place," said Sarah.

The Buy More was a madhouse. The promotional sale was a huge success. Sarah was directing shopper traffic from the Nerd Herd desk and dealing with small service jobs. Alex, Chuck and Jill were scattered throughout the store, but maintaining visual contact.

Jill was casually browsing through the music CD section, when she noticed Morgan looking at her.

"Do I know you?" she asked.

"That bearded troll's gonna ruin everything," growled Forrest over the radio.

"Huh, no, it's just… You look just like someone my best friend went to Stanford with."

"I went to Penn. But I'm flattered, I guess."

"No, you shouldn't be flattered. That harpy Jill was a major bitch. Got my friend Sarah, who is the nicest girl in the whole world by the way, kicked out of school and stole her boyfriend as well."

Anna interrupted Morgan, telling him that the registers were down and that Jeff had to fix them, but he was hiding. Morgan talked him into trying to repair the registers, while Forrest notified everyone that the CIA pickup team had arrived. Sarah made her run, flashing on one of the agents and verifying that he was clean. The other she did not flash on. As Alex and Chuck went ahead with the formalities, Sarah went to talk to Jill.

"Sarah, I didn't mean to offend you last night, about living with your brother. Chuck told me everything you've accomplished. You, Chuck and Forrest. It's amazing."

"You are a super spy too, Jill."

"Exactly. I have one friend in this world. You have a home and a store full of them."

"So now you are going to disappear again?"

"It's what I do best." Jill hugged Sarah.

"Thank you for everything, Sarah. Take care of Chuck for me. He'll take care of you. He was the best partner I ever had. Someday he and I may even become real friends," she whispered in Sarah's ear.

"Time to go, Jill. I'll ride with you to the transfer point," said Chuck.

Chuck, Jill and the pickup team boarded a car in the parking lot and left the mall. Sarah returned to the Nerd herd desk and Forrest took up station by the home theater room.

In the car, after a couple of minutes of silence, Jill turned to Chuck.

"Chuck, it was nice seeing you again."

"It was nice knowing you did not go rogue, Jill, that you didn't betray me and the Agency."

"Thank you for looking after my friend, Chuck. For keeping her safe. I owe you a great deal for that," she said in a low voice.

"It's my job."

She leaned close to him. "Keep _Sarah_ safe too, not only the Intersect," she whispered so that the agents in front would not hear her.

"I will," he said solemnly. Before Jill had a chance to say anything more, a van T-boned them, knocking everyone in the car unconscious.

Back at the Buy More, someone approached the Nerd Herd desk.

"How can I help you…" Sarah's voice trailed off as she saw Tommy, the Fulcrum agent.

"Well, Ms. Walker, I'm looking for a computer. It's called the Intersect. You may have heard about it. And now my team has reacquired agents Bartowski and Roberts. As you can see, Ms. Forrest has also been neutralized. And don't you think that all the witnesses here are any safeguard for you. I will not hesitate to execute everybody in this store if it helps me carry out my orders."

Tommy was wrong about something; Chuck and Jill had regained consciousness, taken out the Fulcrum team and were speeding back towards the Buy More.

The Fulcrum agent pressed a small gun on Sarah's back as he led her towards the exit. Jeff ran up to her with a panicked look on his face.

"Sarah, the registers are down and I can't get them back up. What should I do?"

"Say more than one word to him and I'll kill him right here," whispered Tommy.

Sarah did not hesitate. "Pineapple," she told Jeff, who immediately breathed a sigh of relief and made off to find Morgan. She had just said the prearranged code word to trigger an emergency evacuation of the Buy More.

Jeff found Morgan and informed him that Sarah told him to initiate an evacuation of the store. Morgan immediately asked everyone over the PA system to exit the Buy More in an orderly fashion and had Anna pull the fire alarm. In the ensuing confusion Alex managed to knock out the two Fulcrum agents watching her and grab Sarah who had been separated from Tommy during the initial rush for the exits. Alex dragged Sarah to the home theater room, where she had a stash of guns for such an eventuality, and called for backup. Eventually, the only people in the store were Sarah, Alex and the Fulcrum team. Sarah took cover behind the couch as Alex exchanged gunfire with the Fulcrum Agents. Chuck and Jill arrived during a lull in the firefight and started going kung-fu on the bad guys. Sarah could not help but admire their perfect coordination. Soon, the Fulcrum team was down and Alex led Sarah out of the home theater room. At the door, however, Tommy, who had crept up there unnoticed, clocked Forrest on the jaw and grabbed Sarah. He planned on using her as a human shield and escape with her. Chuck and Jill had their guns out and ready.

"Let her go, Tommy," said Chuck.

"Does this look like it's my first time? Stay right there Jill!"

"You okay Sarah?" asked Jill.

"You know what Jill? I'm tired of playing Jeff Daniels' role," Sarah said and winked at Jill. With a stone cold expression on her face, Jill adjusted her aim form Tommy to Sarah and pulled the trigger. Sarah dropped to the floor. Chuck was horrified and Tommy was momentarily stunned, enough for Alex to hit him on the head with the butt of her gun and knock him unconscious. Chuck ran up to Sarah.

"Why did you shoot her, Jill?" he demanded.

"Ask her," was Jill's noncommittal reply. Chuck unbuttoned Sarah's shirt and was tremendously relieved to see that she was wearing a vest. Sarah coughed and opened her eyes.

"Shoot the hostage," she said, "remember Speed, the movie? Take the hostage out of the equation," she laughed and coughed again. "Ouch, vest or no vest, this still hurts!" she complained. Chuck and Jill just hugged her. Forrest was impressed. The asset was resourceful and gutsy.

The NSA backup and cleaner team arrived to take the prisoners away and get the Buy More back to normal. They also spun a story about a gas leak to Big Mike and assured him that the place would be cleaned up in a short while. Back inside, Jill gave her report to Director Graham and General Casey and got her new assignment.

Before leaving, she went to say goodbye to Alex, Chuck and Sarah.

"Well, guys, got a new assignment. They want me to go after Fulcrum, alone, under the radar. As long as they believe I'm the Intersect, Sarah here will be safe."

"Sounds like heaven," said Alex with just a hint of envy in her voice.

"It means that Jill Roberts is dead. And she's going to stay that way this time. Goodbye Sarah. And sorry."

"For what?"

"For getting you kicked out of school. I thought I had no other option, but I just realized that there was a small chance to get Professor Fleming to give you a lower score claiming clerical error. That way I'd have kept you out of the CIA's clutches and you'd still be able to finish school. I just-"

"I know, Jill, trust me. No grudge here. Maybe just a tiny one." Sarah hugged Jill again.

"Chuck," Jill said after Sarah released her, "we'll always have Omaha. Take care of Sarah." With that she shook hands with Alex and Chuck and left.

Later, Sarah and Alex were returning to their apartment complex.

"Alex, what did Jill mean by 'Omaha'?"

"I guess it's some sort of code for a contact point of some sort. Say, in case one needs some help from the other."

"I see… Well, goodnight Alex. It's been a long day."

"Yeah, goodnight. And, Walker?"

"Yes?"

"Good job today. You got balls, girl."

"Thanks. I guess."

As she lay in bed, Sarah's lips curled upwards in a small smile. She had found a little more peace. Another one of her demons had been spiked in the heart and laid to rest. She had her friend back. A friend she thought she had lost years ago. She turned on her side and closed her eyes. Tomorrow promised to be a long day at the Buy More and who knows what her other, secret, life had in store for her.


	6. Chapter 6 Sarah vs The Gods Of Metal

**A/N: **I don't suppose I have to tellyou (again) that I don't own anything in the Chuckverse, or the songs mentioned in this chapter, all that belongs to other people and I'm writing this for fun, not profit. Hell, I just told ya!

**Sarah Vs the Gods of Metal**

_Hi! I'm Sarah and here are some things to bring you up to speed on __the highlights of the past few months:_

_First of all, I (narrowly) avoided being taken to an underground bunker, because Fulcrum almost learned that I'm the Intersect. If that had happened, I'd have missed seeing my big brother propose to his girlfriend. And of course, Ellie said YES! She's soon gonna be my sister – literally. Before and after all that, I did both my jobs; Nerd Herd supervisor by day, intelligence asset by night. Did I mention that I managed to blow up Alex Forrest's car just before Christmas? No? As you might expect, she didn't take it too well. But I did get her boss to buy her a new car using Agency funds. Some legal stuff that I found in the Intersect (of all places) about compensation for personal property damaged or destroyed in the performance of an Agent's duties. So, I guess she's forgiven me, not that she'll ever admit it. Other than that, it was pretty normal: Catching bad guys, stopping big bombs from going boom, safekeeping state secrets, me never quite staying in the car and all the while falling ever deeper and more hopelessly in love with Chuck. Speaking of Chuck, he's got a new cover job. No more All Auto for him. He now 'owns' an outdoor activities supply shop selling camping gear and the like. This way he can get away more easily for missions, without having to explain his absences to his boss. I think I'll try to make Captain Awesome a regular customer there. After all, he needs a new regulator for his scuba gear (I cannibalized the old one to make a cooling circuit valve for a kickass gaming computer of my own design I'm making in my spare time). _

_Of course, it's the CIA that __really owns the place. _

07:29:58… 07:29:59… 07:30. The alarm mode on her MP3 player started playing the song she'd selected for that day…

I see you found my underground (Sarah opened her eyes)

Help yourself to guns and ammo _Alex would love that line_, she thought.

Nothing here has ever seen the light of day

I leave it in my head

It's the first day, of the rest of your life (Sarah started singing along)

It's the first day, of the rest of your life

Sarah hopped out of bed dancing happily around the room, taking her Nerd Herd uniform from the closet before arranging her clothes neatly on the bed and headed for the bathroom swinging to the song's rhythm and humming to herself. Moving to the sink, she noticed that the mirror was misted over. Idly wiping the condensation away, she noticed that someone was doing the same in the shower, wiping the clear Plexiglas screen. Looking more carefully at the reflection, her eyes flew wide and whirled around. Sure enough, Ellie was in the shower; and she was not alone… Captain Awesome was hiding behind his fiancée, as well as a tall muscular guy like Devon could hide behind a girl anyway. The important thing was that certain parts of his anatomy were hidden from view. And both he and Ellie looked really embarrassed.

"Hi Sarah," was all that Ellie managed to stammer. Devon just groaned. Sarah did a classic double take and when the realization of what had really been happening in the shower penetrated her still sleep hazed mind, she brought her hands up to cover her eyes and ran out of the bathroom towards the safety of her room screaming:

"My eyes, MY EYES! OH I'M BLIND, I'M BLIND!"

Sitting at the breakfast table, an awkward silence hang over the room. Ellie acted normal, but the two siblings had not yet gotten over the early morning embarrassment. Sarah was the first to speak.

"First of all, Ellie, congratulations for your, well, awesome figure. But since the door was unlocked, I'm not a complete pervert, but this just highlights the fact that I need to find a place of my own."

"Nonsense, sis, it's awesome having you here. You don't have to move out," said Devon.

Rewind please. Why was Sarah so happy that day, before the bathroom incident? Well, that was because the previous night Director Graham and General Casey had informed the members of Team Walker that the Beta Intersect would be coming online in the evening and that Sarah's spy life would come to an end and she'd be free to live her own life any way she wanted.

Thus, it was a very happy Sarah that visited Chuck who was idly sitting in the Sea, Desert & Mountain, the new CIA owned store.

"Hi Chuck," she said brightly.

"Hi yourself."

"Say, Chuck, since this is my last day in the spy business, do you want to go out on a date with me? A real date?"

"A real date?"

"Yes. I mean, you'll be reassigned now that your job here is over *sigh*, and by next week you could be swatting nasty insects in a Colombian jungle while going after narcoterrorists, and you'll be regretting not having gone on a date with me today."

"In that case, yes, Sarah. I'd love to go on a real date with you."

"Great! Pick me up at seven?"

"OK."

Having finished her shift at the Buy More, Alex returned to her apartment. Her spirits were down that day. The main communications screen came to life. It was the moment she'd been dreading since last night.

"Major Forrest," said Director Graham.

"Yes, sir?"

"The Beta Intersect is a few hours away from coming online. This means that you'll have to eliminate Sarah Walker."

"Sir, I know my orders. It's just… The Asset… _Sarah Walker_ has performed above and beyond all our expectations. She has served with honor and she deserves better. Maybe we can recruit her as a part-time analyst at the very least. She definitely has potential."

"Major Forrest, can you guarantee that she won't fall into the wrong hands and be tortured for what she has in her head? No. Yes, she has served with honor. Now, she'll die with honor to keep her country safe. That's all." He signed off. Alex sat behind her desk and lowered her head between her arms in despair. She almost felt like crying, or tearing her place up. She'd never openly admit it, but she respected Sarah, maybe she even liked the younger woman in her own way. She wasn't sure she could bring herself to carry out her orders. For the first time in her career as an agent she found herself hating her job and considering the option of disobeying orders, maybe even going rogue.

She replayed the conversation with Graham in her mind. The bastard had a point, but so far she'd never killed anyone who didn't have it coming. Sarah was different. She was more than an asset. She was a de facto agent, _a_ _partner_. And she considered Alex a friend.

Then it came to her. Only Graham had contacted her. General Casey would never condone a hit on an innocent civilian, especially one who had given them everything for nothing; armed with that knowledge, she immediately activated the videoconference link with Casey's office. She quickly explained the situation to her boss.

"SON OF A BITCH!" thundered Casey when she finished, "that goddamn sanctimonious, hypocritical, double-crossing, double-talking, paper pushing fucking asshole!"

"Sir?" Alex had heard about Casey's rare outbursts of rage, but had never witnessed one herself.

"Major Forrest, we, as military officers, took an oath. And that does not include murdering innocent civilians. Fuck, of course I agree to hire her as an analyst. If necessary, I'll pay her out of my own pocket. But, so help me, I won't be party to her murder. I'm countermanding Graham's order. You are to find and protect Ms. Walker. Do you copy, Major?"

"Yes, sir, I copy."

"Then instead of standing there, you should move your pretty tight ass and find Ms. Walker. Do you have any idea where she is?"

"Yes sir. She's out having dinner with Agent Bartowski, celebrating the end of her spy life."

"Then get the hell over there! Leave Graham to me. I'm gonna rip his fucking head off and shit down his neck if he doesn't rescind the kill order."

"Yes sir!"

Meanwhile, Chuck and Sarah were enjoying dinner at a quiet little Chinese restaurant.

"The food here is good. Who did you hear about this place from, Sarah?"

"From Morgan, actually. The man has a black belt in dumplings. I trust any recommendation he gives me on food items for less than ten dollars."

"So our first real date is a Morgan recommendation?"

"What, no faith in the little bearded man? I'll have you know that all our stakeout dinners were also Morgan recommendations."

"Really? Even that Greek sandwich dinner in the Condor case?"

"Yep. By the way, what would Alex do if she knew what we're doing?"

"She'd probably go into anaphylactic shock." They both laughed. Then, eyes locked, they leaned closer. As they were about to share their second real kiss, they heard the howl of an engine and the screech of tires on asphalt. Turning, they saw a familiar Plymouth Hemi Head Barracuda parked outside as Alex Forrest stormed in.

"Forrest? Is there a problem?" Chuck asked.

"Come with me if you want to live," she said. They hesitated, so she threw a fifty dollar bill on the table, grabbed Sarah's arm and started dragging her to the car, Chuck following behind. They all piled in the car and Forrest sped off.

"Forrest, just what the fuck is going on?"

"Listen, Bartowski, we have a problem. The CIA sees Walker as a liability now that the Beta Intersect is coming online and activated a termination order."

"What? Chuck, they were going to-" Sarah was suddenly very afraid.

"Graham ordered me to do it," said Forrest.

"WHAT?"

"But I went to General Casey and he countermanded the order. I'm a killer, not a murderer, Bartowski. Right now our mission is to protect Walker, in case that prick Graham sends his goons to make sure the job is done. Are you with me?"

"Like you have to ask; of course I'm with you."

"Good. You got your gun?"

"Uh, no."

"For the love of all that's unholy, why?" Forrest asked in exasperation.

"You don't bring a gun on a real date."

"OK, Agent Casanova, I have a spare in the glove box. The heavy artillery is in the trunk."

"Thanks."

"So, guys, where do we go from here?" Sarah had somewhat recovered from the shock of learning that Graham wanted her dead.

"NSA safe house. The CIA has no knowledge of it. We'll stay there until the General is done with Graham."

"NSA - CIA Directors' Grudge Match. I'd pay to see that."

"Me too, Bartowski."

"Twenty bucks on General Casey," said Sarah, making the others laugh. She too laughed.

Chuck's phone rang. He answered it and listened, his face going pale.

"Holy shit," he muttered as he put the phone away.

"What is it Bartowski?"

"The Beta Intersect was sabotaged. When it came online it exploded and took Graham with it. Apparently, it was a Fulcrum job."

"Graham is dead?"

"Yes."

"Damn. Casey's gonna be pissed for missing the chance to kick Graham's ass. The important thing is that the kill order on Walker here is automatically rescinded."

"Yeah, she's still the only Intersect. I'm so sorry, Sarah."

"That means…"

"Yes. We're still asset and handler…"

In the morning, the three were standing before the TV screen in Alex's apartment, waiting for General Casey to speak.

"Ladies, Agent Bartowski, I'm sure that by now you are aware of the new developments regarding the status of the Intersect project. Ms. Walker, I'd like to apologize to you on behalf of the intelligence community for last night's events. You have given excellent service and we need you to keep it up."

"Thank you General. I would not have made it this far without Chuck and Alex. They deserve a large share of the credit," she said. Casey just grunted. Subconsciously Sarah assigned this new grunt, which communicated respect and admiration, a number.

"Your new mission is to track down the man we believe is responsible for sabotaging the Beta Intersect. If possible, I want him brought in alive for questioning. His name is Travis Reed. We think that he has fled to the West Coast, where he has a network of contacts that can help him. It will be an added bonus if you manage to help take down his Fulcrum cell. I'm sending you the file now."

"There's not much here, General," said Chuck, after skimming through the file.

"I know. Try using the Intersect and see if there is anything more you can find about him. Sarah, I give you my word that once the new Intersect is rebuilt your personal safety will be guaranteed and that we'll make every effort to find a way to remove the old one from your head." It was uncharacteristic of the General to use someone's first name in a formal conversation. They all realized that it showed how highly he thought of the young woman.

"Thank you General," was all she could say. Inside, she appreciated the fondness Casey had for her.

"Agent Bartowski," continued Casey, "I would like you to consider accepting a temporary duty assignment to the NSA for the Human Intersect project. For as long as required."

"No need to consider it, sir. I accept your offer."

"Excellent. That will be all for now."

Sarah had a few minutes before she would have to go to work; fortunately, her shift coincided with Alex's, so they could carpool. So, she decided to take a look at Reed's file. She was somewhat disappointed when she did not flash on anything. She noted the date on the file; yep, it was created after she had uploaded the Intersect.

"Looks like we're gonna have to do some old fashioned spy work," she told the others.

"It's not in the Intersect," said Chuck. It was a statement, not a question.

"Nope. Sorry."

"No reason to apologize, Walker. We'll find him." Forrest laid a hand on Sarah's shoulder and added "Don't worry."

"Thank you Alex. For everything."

"The mission is not over. But you're welcome, anyway." She ruffled Sarah's hair as she spoke.

Chuck was casually observing the scene. Alexandra Forrest, the Grim Reaper of the NSA, going soft? But then again, Sarah Walker had that effect on everyone. Casey obviously liked her. Chuck found himself drawn to Sarah a bit more every day. His musings were interrupted by the women getting ready to leave for work. He gallantly held the door open for them, before following them to the parking area. It was then that Devon and Ellie arrived from their hospital shift.

"Hey bro! Came to pick up Sarah?" asked Devon. "Morning Alex," he added. Forrest nodded her greeting.

"Captain. Good to see you. How was your shift?"

"Boring as hell. No emergencies, thankfully. You didn't answer my question, Chuck."

"Ah, yes, I did come to take Sarah to work, but she's carpooling with Alex today, so she doesn't really need a ride. The girls will take the Herder."

Ellie unloaded the groceries they had bought from the car and Devon moved to help her.

"Do you guys need an extra hand?" asked Chuck.

"No thanks Chuck. We got it," answered Ellie.

"OK, just had to ask."

"Chuck, why are you still here?"

"Excuse me, Ellie?"

"Your girl just left and you're still here?"

"Oh, don't worry, Ellie, she just asked me to tell Devon to come see me at the SD&M when he's got the time."

"Why's that?" asked Devon.

"She said you'll need a new scuba regulator."

"Huh? Why? The one I got is OK."

"Yeah, about that. She took it to make a cooling circuit valve or something. It's computer related."

"I'm gonna kill her." Devon's smile belied his words.

"No need for that. I just got a delivery of brand new US Divers single and double hose regulators and they are on promotional sale. I can save one for you."

"I'll take a double hose piece."

"Great. I'll get you the catalog. Gotta go now. Enjoy your rest."

"Have a nice day Chuck!"

It was a very slow day at the Buy More. There were few customers, but still Alex managed to sell a Beast Master, setting a new store record and earning her a bonus from Big Mike. Morgan also performed admirably, selling a refrigerator and a washer and dryer to a newly wed couple. Sarah weighed her options: the Nerd Herd desk or the cage. The former won out, as there were no outstanding work orders. Not even a service call to relieve the boredom.

"A dollar for your thoughts," she heard Morgan say.

"Wasn't it a penny?"

"Prices went up."

"Very funny, Morgan. I'm bored."

"Yeah, me too."

"Hey, you two, what's up?"

"Welcome to the party Alex. We were just discussing how bored we are," replied Sarah.

"You must be very bored. I didn't see you chastising those dumbasses, Jeff and Lester. But you may have to do it soon."

"Why's that?"

"You know about their stupid band, right?"

"Jeffster? Really lame."

"Yeah, I heard them talking about playing their music video on the Wall."

"No-no-no-no! They'll chase the few customers we got away," Morgan said feigning panic.

"Grimes, we are in total agreement. However rare that is."

"C'mon, Forrest, I know that deep down you like me."

"I'd rather be marooned on a deserted island without a sandwich."

"Sarah told you about that? The island/sandwich discussion?"

"She asked for my opinion."

"Yeah, but where does that leave us with Jeff and Lester?"

"I have an idea! Morgan, where is Tang's old universal remote?"

"Sarah, you are devious! I'll go get it." Morgan left to go find the item.

"Smart, Walker, very smart. At least I won't have to kill them imbeciles."

The rest of the day passed quietly. Sarah and Alex went over to Chuck's store on their lunch break to see if there was any new intel for their mission, but the higher ups had nothing for them. Forrest drove the Herder back to Echo Park, Sarah sleeping soundly in the passenger seat.

When she got home, Sarah went to her room and surfed the net for a while. She then turned the computer off and picked up her guitar. She plugged it in the amp, and started playing. Forrest did not need the audio surveillance to hear the music. Sarah's window was open, as was her window across the courtyard. She liked the song Sarah was playing, so she made herself comfortable on her recliner and started singing along. At that very moment, Chuck entered the courtyard and heard both the music and the singing.

New blood joins this earth

And quickly he's subdued

Through constant pained disgrace

The young boy learns their rules

With time the child draws in

This whipping boy done wrong

Deprived of all his thoughts

The young man struggles on and on he's known

A vow unto his own

That never from this day

His will they'll take away

What I've felt

What I've known

Never shined through in what I've shown

Never be

Never see

Won't see what might have been

What I've felt

What I've known

Never shined through in what I've shown

Never free

Never me

So I dub thee UNFORGIVEN

They dedicate their lives

To running all of his

He tries to please then all

This bitter man he is…

He stood there, by the fountain, listening, enjoying the girls' performance. When the song ended, he applauded enthusiastically. Sarah and Alex went to their windows and saw him. Chuck looked at Forrest with new respect.

"What? I wasn't hatched," was all that she said. Chuck and Sarah just smiled.

Chuck had come to take Sarah out on another cover date. A few minutes later, Sarah had changed into jeans and the blue top with white buttons that Chuck seemed to like very much. Soon, they were driving in downtown LA, as Sarah finally convinced Chuck to go check out a new little French restaurant. Suddenly, Sarah twisted in her seat, trying to get a better look out the window.

"Chuck!"

"What?"

"I think I just saw Travis Reed."

"Where?"

"On our five o'clock. The tall guy walking with two other people." Chuck immediately parked the Charger and turned to look.

"Yeah, that's him." He saw Sarah flash.

"Wow, that was intense. OK, the other guy is a real bad Fulcrum guy. Carlton Masters. He's ex-DIA. Nothing on his date."

"Shit, the plot thickens. Keep watching, I'll call Forrest." He picked up his phone from the center console and dialed Forrest. "Hey, it's me. Sarah spotted Reed in downtown LA. He's with a Fulcrum agent and a girl, probably a civilian. We'll tail them. Just follow Sarah's watch tracker. OK, fine, see you soon."

Chuck and Sarah walked some distance behind their marks, holding hands and looking just like another couple taking a stroll. They discreetly followed Reed, Masters and the girl for a few blocks, careful to keep a safe distance. Forrest's Barracuda roared by at one point, but did not stop. Instead, she parked it near an intersection and got out to wait for the marks. Sarah kept her eyes on Masters' girl. She was a pretty girl in her early twenties, slim but not anorexic, with jet black hair and childlike enthusiasm about something, as she talked animatedly to her companions. The three turned and entered the subway. Chuck and Sarah quickened their pace, while he called Forrest and told her to meet them at the station, but when they got there they could not find the Fulcrum agents. Forrest ran up to them.

"Bartowski, where are they?"

"We lost 'em."

"Crap. Now what?"

"The best option right now is to review the station's security camera footage, find out which train they boarded and where they got off."

"It's the only option. Where's your car, Bartowski?"

"About five blocks back."

"C'mon, I'll give you a lift."

"Guys, wait!" Sarah rejoined them after she finished talking to a young man who was carrying a guitar case.

"What is it Walker?"

"I know where they're going!"

"Sarah, did you flash?"

"Heh, no need for that. The girl that was with Reed and Masters had a brochure and was pretty excited about it. The guy over there, the one with the guitar, has the same brochure. So, as a music fan to another, I just asked him about it."

"What is it about Walker?"

"The Gods of Metal festival. It's a gathering of amateur bands to play tribute to the legends. It starts tomorrow. Let's go, we need to find the nearest rock/metal record store and get more information."

"Good job Sarah!"

"Are you sure that this is where they went?" asked General Casey.

Not 100% sure, sir, but we reviewed the security footage and the station they got off is near the departure point for the buses taking people to the festival. It will be crowded and thus ideal for any drop or pickup, or whatever meeting Fulcrum has scheduled. Damn near impossible to bug too, with all the noise."

"Thank you Agent Forrest. It seems that you will have to go to the festival as spectators."

"What about the asset, General?"

"Take her with you. She might flash on anyone there. But remember, your primary concern is the safety of the Intersect. If you think that it might be compromised, hightail it outta there and call for backup. I'll have a team on standby stationed close to the location."

"Understood, General."

"Good. Start getting ready; you leave first thing tomorrow morning. Enjoy your weekend, people."

The next morning the redoubtable trio rendezvoused in the courtyard. Devon and Ellie were already at the hospital, so there would be no need to dodge any questioning from them. Chuck was dressed in black jeans, Converse All-Star sneakers and an Iced Earth 'The Coming Curse' t-shirt. Sarah wore an Iron Maiden 'Number Of The Beast' t-shirt, jeans and sneakers. She also wore a steel studded black leather wristband and a Hammer of Thor necklace. Alex came out of her apartment wearing a Slayer t-shirt, black BDU pants over combat boots, a dragon necklace, skull and crossbones ring and a replica ammo belt around her waist.

"Seriously, Alex? Slayer? I'd figured you as more of a Bolt Thrower, Sabaton, or even Manowar person," said Sarah, mentioning some of the bands that took their subjects from war and stuff.

"There are many ways one can die. Many ways one can achieve… Death. Many ways one can achieve… Post-Mortem," recited Forrest, deadpan.

"And between the two of you most of these ways are covered," Sarah told her handlers. Chuck laughed. Alex smiled thinly. After all, the nerd had a point.

Sarah would go with Chuck in his car. Alex would take the van. While driving to Barstow, where the festival was taking place, Sarah took over DJ duty, inserting a CD with a wide selection of classic metal hits in the player and hitting the shuffle button. Chuck turned the volume up. He was actually enjoying this. It reminded him of his younger days, when he was into rock and metal music. Sarah was very much into most kinds of music, so her knowledge of metal and its genres was not surprising. And like him, she preferred the classics.

Once there, they found that the organizers had been very thorough. Security was good, and several cameras covered the parking lots and open areas between the stages. Paying the small admission fee, they parked their vehicles and got to work. Sarah hacked into the camera feeds so that Alex could keep track of them and maintain a general overwatch. Then she and Chuck started strolling around, trying to locate Reed and Masters. Forrest was running a facial recognition program and would warn them if she found the Fulcrum agents first, but with so many people around the processing was not as fast as they would like. After several hours of wandering around the grounds, pausing occasionally to watch a band play and scan the audience for their marks, the faux couple paused by a stage where a very talented amateur band was playing a good rendition of Virgin Steele's 'Victory is Mine'. They heartily applauded when the song ended and left to resume their rounds. Suddenly, Sarah tugged on Chuck's arm.

"Chuck, over there," she said.

"Did you flash?"

"No, but I just saw Masters' girl. The petite one with the black hair over there."

"I see her. Forrest, we have a lead on the marks," he said over his watch communicator.

"I've got you both on visual," came Forrest's voice in their earpieces.

"Alex, try scanning the catering area," suggested Sarah. Masters' girlfriend appeared to be heading that way.

"Stand by," said Forrest. Chuck and Sarah followed the girl discreetly, but close enough so as not to lose her in the crowds. Near the tables, Sarah flashed and held on to Chuck for support.

"Sarah, are you OK?"

"I just flashed. Two o'clock, the freckled guy in the Morbid Angel t-shirt."

"Is he Fulcrum?"

"Yes. One of Masters' associates."

"Forrest, one more baddy's joining the party. Sarah flashed on him."

"Roger that. Give me a location." Chuck quickly told Alex where to look and described the man. She came back over the radio confirming that she had a visual. Chuck and Sarah then took a table at a convenient vantage point, from where she was able to identify the rest of Masters' Fulcrum cell. By that time the successive flashes had given her a bad headache, so Chuck decided to take her back to the car. Forrest had them all under constant surveillance, and the NSA tactical team was getting constant updates on the situation. At one point Forrest informed him that Masters had taken his girlfriend for a private chat. Walking through a quiet area, they heard a couple arguing. It was Masters and the black haired girl. They hid behind a billboard and listened to the heated conversation. She was complaining that he was never giving her enough attention, that he was always working and he was ruining their day together with his stupid friends. They could see that Masters was losing his patience. Suddenly, he slapped the girl, hard, and she fell on the grass. Chuck tensed, anger boiling inside. He heard Forrest's voice in his earpiece telling him that Reed and the others were leaving the premises and that the tactical team would take care of them. Team Walker would have to take Masters down. That was all he needed. He was behind Masters in a flash and hit him hard enough to knock him out cold. The girl yelped in fear, but immediately Sarah was by her side helping her up. She took a tissue from her purse and wiped a thin trail of blood from the corner of the girl's mouth.

"It's okay, we're federal agents," she said.

"And your boyfriend is under arrest," added Chuck, showing a badge and cuffing the unconscious Masters.

"Carlton? Why? For hitting me? I won't press charges." The girl was crying now. Sarah tried to calm her down.

"Hey, take it easy. What's your name?"

"Vicky, Vicky McConnell" replied the girl.

"All right, Vicky, your boyfriend was an employee of the federal government, but he went dirty. The 'friends' he met today are bad people too and we are here to make sure they go to jail.

"All of them?"

"Yes. We have enough evidence against them, so you will not have to go through any hassle. You won't even have to testify."

"I'm glad about that. Thank you agent…"

"Carmichael. Sarah Carmichael. And you are most welcome."

"Still, the weekend was not a total loss. I got to see my favorite band play."

"Are you sure you're gonna be OK?"

"Yeah. My relationship with Carlton was over anyway. I just chose to ignore the signs."

A pair of NSA agents disguised as law enforcement officers arrived and took Masters away. They asked Vicky for her contact details and let her go after Forrest verified that she was indeed an innocent bystander with no Fulcrum connections, save for her scumbag now ex-boyfriend. Vicky thanked them again and left to catch a bus home. She had an essay to finish for a class in college.

"That mission went OK for a change. No one shooting at us, or dangling me from rooftops and stuff," said Sarah while strolling back to the stage area with her arms around Chuck's waist.

"It was real smooth," agreed Chuck.

"What do we do now?"

"Are you girls hungry?" He asked the question with his communicator on.

"Yes," replied Sarah and he also got an affirmative from Alex.

"I noticed a nice BBQ stand. How about a picnic and then some fun at the festival before we head back to Burbank?" The women agreed that it was a good idea.

They really did have fun. Chuck and Alex did not drink much, as they would have to drive later, but Sarah had enough beer to make her slightly tipsy. Maybe that was how she found the courage to ask Alex to sing with the band of an old high school friend that she ran into. Chuck agreed that it would be nice and filmed the scene with Sarah's compact digital video camcorder as Sarah played the guitar along with her friend's band and Alex sang 'I Wish I Had An Angel' by Nightwish.

They were back in Burbank by 0200 hours after an uneventful drive. Alex wished them goodnight and withdrew to her apartment to email a preliminary report to General Casey. Chuck had to help a tired and drowsy Sarah to her apartment. What they did not expect was to find Devon and Ellie cuddling on the couch watching a movie.

"Hey, you two. Had a good time?" asked Devon. Before they had a chance to answer, Ellie noticed what they were wearing.

"Why are you two dressed like that?" she asked, curious.

"We went to the Gods of Metal festival in Barstow," answered Chuck.

"And we had an absolutely awesome time," added Sarah in a sleepy voice.

"I didn't have you pegged for a metalhead, bro," said Devon.

"Sins of my younger years revisited, Captain."

"We all have to live with our sins, right Chuck?"

"You said it, not me. I'd better get Sarah to bed and tuck her in."

"You look beat, Chuck. Why don't you crash with Sarah? I suggest that you avoid driving tonight," said Ellie.

"OK. The more rest I can get, the better, I guess. I'll just go get some stuff from the car." He took Sarah to her room, went to his car and was back a few minutes later.

"So, Chuck," Devon said, picking up the conversation again, "did my little sister get wild there?"

"Oh, yeah! I've got her on video playing the guitar with an old friend's band and, brace yourselves, Alex singing with them."

"Alex? As in Alex Forrest, our neighbor?"

"Yes, Ellie, the one and only Alex Forrest. Sarah invited her along and she jumped at the chance. Helped me keep Sarah on the straight and narrow, too, as she doesn't exactly have a high alcohol tolerance."

"My sister was drinking?"

"Just four beers, during and after our dinner picnic, and I did not let her drive."

"Well, I guess she has the right to let out some steam and have fun. Within legal and medical limits, of course."

"Right. I'll leave you two alone now. I have a girlfriend to attend to. Goodnight."

"Goodnight Chuck," said Devon.

"Sweet dreams," added Ellie.

Chuck went to Sarah's room and was pleased to find her already asleep. He stripped to his shorts and got in bed. Sarah's cuddle reflex kicked in and once again she snuggled up to Chuck. He smiled; he had come to expect it after a few cover sleepovers. This time, however, he lightly kissed her forehead before relaxing and letting himself fall asleep as well.


	7. Chapter 7 Sarah vs The Highlander

**A/N:** New chapter, another character from the show makes an appearance.

I decided to try and throw in some canon stuff from various episodes just to see how it would turn out. I hope it's OK, for something written in less than three days.

Standard disclaimers apply, this is not for profit but for fun, etc, etc…

Once again, a heartfelt thank you for encouraging me to keep writing.

**Sarah Vs the Highlander**

Sarah padded to the bathroom humming to herself. She had first verified that Devon and Ellie were in the kitchen before going to take a shower. She definitely did not want a repeat of the now infamous 'bathroom incident', when she'd walked into that room while her brother and his fiancée were getting freaky in the shower stall. She put the 'do not disturb' sign on the door, which was her new private joke with Devon and Ellie, stripped off her t-shirt and underwear, deposited them in the laundry hamper, turned the water on and stepped under the soothing stream when it reached the desired temperature. A few minutes later she rinsed off, wrapped herself in her black Darth Vader bathrobe – a gift from Chuck – and returned to her room to get dressed for another day at the Buy More. She took a few minutes to decide on the day's hairstyle. She now liked to vary it a bit. Gone were the strict buns and ponytails of her B.C. (Before Chuck) time. Ellie had given her some useful pointers on how to style her hair quickly in the morning. She decided to let her luscious blonde tresses loose today. Chuck liked it very much that way.

In the kitchen Captain Awesome was amusing Ellie with his successful attempt to cook breakfast. French toast, bacon, eggs sunny side up and some country sausage that had somehow escaped being made into one of the toppings for the pizza Ellie had made on the weekend were the order of the day. To be frank, the part that Ellie found amusing was not her fiancé's skills in the kitchen, but rather his chef's hat and matching apron that had the phrase 'Kiss Me, I'm An Awesome Cook' on the front. Another one of Chuck's clever gifts.

Sarah poured some coffee into her mug, added milk and sugar, took a sip and then sat at the table as Devon put a plate in front of her.

"Here you go little sis, dig in," he said.

"Thanks. Mmmm, this is good. I can think of no better way to start the day."

They ate their breakfast in silence. The happy soon to be married couple wanted to go shopping, as they both had the day off. Sarah rinsed her plate and put it in the dishwasher before grabbing her keys and heading for the Herder. Alex Forrest was already out her door.

"Morning Walker," she said.

"Good morning Alex," she replied cheerfully.

"Ready for another day at the salt mines?"

"Seriously, it's not that bad."

"C'mon, I got Beast Masters to move," Forrest said with a thin smile.

"You know, Alex, you are a woman of many talents. Secret agent, you have probably lost count of how many ways you know to kill someone, yet you are hands down the best appliance salesperson in the Burbank Buy More. Can you cook too?"

"As a matter of fact I can, why ask?" Forrest said as they got in the Herder.

"Nothing…"

"You wouldn't…"

"What?"

"Who are you trying to set me up with, Walker?"

"No one in particular. I'm still evaluating potential candidates."

"Not if you value your life."

"Kidding, I'm just kidding. Jeez, you need to work on your sense of humor, which means you should get one in the first place."

"I can be funny, Walker. When I'm not working."

"Which means never."

"Don't push your luck."

Sarah thought that managing to engage Forrest in a non-work related conversation was quite an achievement and savored her small triumph. She was thus very cheerful when she took up station at the Nerd Herd desk. The Buy More was a hive of activity that day. The green shirts were scrambling to help the customers. Morgan was explaining the particularities of a multipurpose blender to a young housewife; Fernando was doing customer service in the Hole; Alex Forrest was extolling the virtues of the latest Beast Master model to a suburban lawn mower jockey, who was apparently equally interested in the grill _and_ Forrest's boobs. Sarah chuckled when she realized that Alex was actually enjoying the customer's attention. There had been no missions for almost a week now and the members of Team Walker directed all their energy to their cover jobs, trying to make up for the lack of excitement. The Nerd Herd was not so busy, which was kind of disappointing to Sarah. She needed something to do. So, when a teenager came to her with a dead desktop computer, Sarah was only too happy to do a Nerd Herd tour de force and break her own record for speedy component replacement as she ripped out the faulty motherboard before replacing it on the spot. Her fingers danced nimbly inside the computer's case, tightening screws, plugging wires in and connecting the hardware.

"Time," she called when she was done.

"Six minutes on the dot from removal to replacement," replied Anna looking at the display on her stopwatch, "new Nerd Herd record."

"You nerds are fantastic," said the young customer.

"Thank you. It should be better than new now. I'll just run a quick test… Yes, it's working fine. It shouldn't give you any more problems. And here's the paperwork. Go to checkout and give the service sheet to the green shirt at the register."

"Thank you. You saved my life. And my grades too, as I have a school assignment saved in here."

"Take care."

Morgan ambled over to his best friend after finalizing another sale.

"Well, looks like the rush is almost over," he said.

"It was still slow for my taste here, buddy," replied Sarah.

Before Morgan had a chance to reply, Big Mike appeared.

"Well, I see that we are doing great today and it's still early. But I still need an assistant manager here. Sarah, the position is yours if you still want it."

"I think I'll pass, Big Mike."

"Are you 100% sure about that?"

"Yes, I am."

"OK, who should I nominate…? Grimes?"

"Don't look at me, boss."

"Wu, then?"

"Definitely not me," answered Anna.

"You should do it by the book, Big Mike, put the offer out and refer the applicants to corporate HR for evaluation. Just like last time," added Forrest.

"That's a conspiracy to keep me from enjoying the finer things in life! Walker, can you handle the applications?"

"Oh, no. Not part of my job description."

"Walker has a point. Check the Buy More rule book, if you need confirmation, sir," said Alex.

"You know what it says, Blondie Green?"

"I do, and so does Blondie Nerd here." The girls and Morgan laughed. The plump store manager stalked off in defeat grumbling something about 'by the book' employees.

"Walker, are you in the mood for a corndog?"

"Sure, Alex, why not? Anna, we're taking our lunch break. Morgan, buddy, customers at one o'clock. Go get 'em."

Alex and Sarah went to the Wienerlicious and bought lunch for themselves and Chuck. Scooter was happy to see Sarah. She had been an awful cook, but otherwise a model employee and a great coworker. As they entered the SD&M, Chuck closed the store and led them to the back room. Sarah's curiosity was piqued when her fake boyfriend uncovered a hidden panel with a retina scanner, had his identity verified and entered a secret chamber. Going down a flight of stairs, they found themselves in a state of the art operations center.

"Wow, what is this place?" asked Sarah.

"Welcome to the Castle," replied Chuck.

"The CIA decided to spring for new digs," explained Alex. "Finally, a first rate operation."

They sat down at the long conference table to have lunch.

"Anything from General Casey?" asked Sarah before taking a bite of her corndog.

"No, nothing yet. Even Fulcrum's business must be down these days. What's the latest from the Buy More?"

"Alex is on track to be named employee of the month. She sold another Beast Master today."

"No kidding? I see that you found a new career, Major Forrest."

"Up yours, Bartowski." There was no malice in her words. She just had to say it, if only to keep being, well, herself.

"Chuck, she's at least supplementing her NSA salary with her Buy More paycheck, which is more than you and I can say."

"Jealous much, Sarah?"

"Me? No. By the way, Alex, what are you doing with that extra money?"

"Nothing much. I'm mostly saving it. I think I'll buy a set of Crimson Trace laser grips for my SIG Sauers, however."

"That's it? If I were you I'd splurge a bit and treat myself to a day at a spa or something."

"Interesting. I will take your advice into consideration. Do you really think I need to go to a spa?"

"What woman doesn't?"

"Sarah's got a point there, Forrest."

"I have a job to do and an asset to protect. Not much time to waste on such activities."

"Chuck can watch over me. You need a day off. In fact, we could also arrange for Chuck to get a day off."

"I'm already getting days off, Sarah."

"Our cover dates?"

"Cover or not, I still enjoy them very much."

"So do I. You are a great friend Chuck." Alex tried hard and managed to suppress a snide remark when Sarah said that. She could see an emotional attachment between her partner and their asset. Hell, even she had some feelings for Sarah. True, it was mostly respect and a little bit of sympathy for the girl, but no one had ever gotten to her like that before. Still, Bartowski appeared to be well on his way to get compromised, which could happen before he knew what hit him.

Their lunch over, Chuck gave Sarah the grand tour of their new facility. The first thing he showed her was the access routes to the Buy More, one leading to a trapdoor in the home theater room and another to a door concealed behind the lockers of the employee break room. He also showed her the emergency evacuation exits, the armory, gym, holding cells, personnel quarters, infirmary, storage rooms, the small kitchenette and finally the main operations center, a part of which she'd already seen. Sarah had a nerdgasm when she saw the mainframe computer. It was far in advance of anything she had ever worked with so far. She barely resisted the urge to ask for permission to install games in it. It sure had the spare hard drive capacity, but she suspected that the CIA would not exactly approve the use of their ultra-expensive supercomputer as a gaming rig. Chuck's smile meant that he knew what was going on in her mind. She tore herself from it with a final loving brush of her fingers on the unit.

"I was afraid I would have to separate you from it with a crowbar," said Chuck.

"For someone that works with computers for a living, it's the mother of all wet dreams coming true," she replied wistfully. She then noticed something that looked a bit out of place in the operations room gun rack. "What's this?" she asked, carefully picking up a pistol.

"This is a Smith & Wesson 5906 nine millimeter automatic. You like it?"

"It's prettier than the other guns here. They are all black and dull. I like its silver finish."

"It's yours, if you want it."

"Me, with a gun?"

"Why not? You are good with a firearm, as I recall."

"No, I can't take it. I don't think I'll ever be able to bring myself to shoot someone."

"OK. I understand, Sarah. Still, you can practice with it here. We do have a shooting gallery, as you have seen. You may also take it along every time we are required to pose as cops or feds on missions."

"In that case, we have a compromise. I have to be going now. My break is over and I need to get back to the Buy More."

"OK. See you when you get off work."

Back at the Buy More Sarah did not have much to do, so she just browsed through her favorite gaming news website. At one point she had to send Jeff and Lester out on a computer emergency service call, as it concerned a Mac system and the two fools always said that they were Mac guys and fancied themselves IT artists.

Looking up, she saw a tall, handsome guy browsing the movie DVD section. She watched him as he asked Morgan about a movie pack. She wondered if she should introduce him to Alex. She wasn't sure if he was the female agent's type, but this man might just be capable of giving her a thrill. From there it all went south; the man moved past a display and when Sarah saw his expensive watch, she flashed.

_A polar bear with her cub_

_The word 'FULCRUM'_

_Schematics of a computer chip_

_System specs for the chip_

_The watch_

_A polar bear with her cub_

"Oh, crap," she muttered after she recovered from her flash. Her right hand went to her watch and pushed two buttons in sequence. It was the page signal for her handlers. She had remembered not to push the panic button. Alex Forrest was immediately with her.

"What's going on, Walker?"

"See that guy over there?"

"The beefcake? I noticed him. Some hunk. Nice buns too. You didn't call me to try and work on my love life, did you? Because if you did, I'll-"

"Alex, I flashed on his watch. He's Fulcrum."

"What? Fuck. We need to get you out of here. Where the hell is Bartowski?" At that very moment Chuck strolled into the Buy More. Under his casual act he was in full agent mode and warily scanning the surroundings for any threat. He went straight to the Nerd Herd desk and this time he decided to dispense with the customary cover kiss.

"What's the matter, ladies?"

"Fulcrum's the matter, Walker just flashed," replied Forrest.

"Where?" Chuck was all business now. His hand went to his well concealed gun.

"That guy over there."

"Specifics?"

"His watch is Fulcrum issue. It has a very special computer chip hidden inside," answered Sarah.

The three watched the man as he paid for his purchase and left. Chuck did some fast thinking.

"Forrest, take Sarah to the home theater room and be ready to evac her to the Castle. I'll tail him."

"Roger that. You don't think he's after the Intersect, do you?"

"You certainly don't."

"That's right. He was too casual. He went straight to the DVDs, bought what he wanted and left. He did not even look this way."

"OK. Report to the General. I'm outta here."

Chuck left to follow the Fulcrum agent. Alex called Casey and reported the contact. He approved their actions and ordered Alex not to let Sarah out of her sight. They were also to get the chip by any means necessary.

From then until the end of her shift Sarah could not help worrying about Chuck. Although she had Alex watching over her, she found it unsettling that Chuck had not yet contacted them. The ride home in the Herder with Alex and Morgan was a bit better. Morgan's banter helped take her mind off her problems. Alex on the other hand was quiet and alert. When they arrived at their apartment complex, Forrest surprised them by suggesting that they go play some CoD. She knew that keeping her asset busy would help. She returned to her apartment and immediately went to watch the surveillance feeds. A couple of hours later Chuck called with the latest news. The mark was staying at a luxury hotel in downtown LA. He would stay there to make sure they did not lose him and asked Forrest to come meet him later in the van and take Sarah with her. Morgan had already left for home when Alex used the Morgan door to get in Sarah's room.

"Walker, you ready? Mission time."

"Let's go."

"Take this," Forrest said, giving Sarah a duffel bag. It was bulky, but light enough.

"What's in here?"

"Dresses, makeup kits, shoes, jewelry. For both of us. The mark's staying at a fancy hotel. We may have to go in undercover as guests, staff, or maybe call girls."

"You're kidding."

"I most definitely am not," Alex said, backing the Barracuda out of its parking spot.

"Does this mean that in addition to fancy gowns you have more… racy outfits in there?"

"Yep. It's part of the job. We're gonna take that sonofabitch down." Later, Forrest spoke again: "Something I forgot to ask: What's in that chip of his?"

"I have no idea. All I know is that the chip is designed to store and encrypt information. It needs a special decrypter to read."

"Any ideas as to where we can get our hands on said decrypter?"

"No. But I should be able to hack into the chip and bypass the encryption and any firewalls."

"Hold the thought, Walker. We're here. That's our van over there."

The two women got in the van. Chuck had already tapped into the hotel security system and they had video feed from the cameras.

"He's still in his suite," he said, "just ordered room service. The guy's a ladies' man, from what I've seen. Are you girls up to some seduction practice?"

"Alex may be. I'm not so sure," Sarah said.

"We shouldn't expose the asset to any risks, Bartowski."

"I know. I was just joking. But if we go in, we'll have to take her with us. We can't leave her alone, not now."

"Mark has left his room."

"Keep watching."

The team watched as the mark went to the bar and ordered a drink.

"Well, you ladies should change now," said Chuck. He went to the driver's seat to give the women some privacy in the back.

"We're done, your turn now, Bartowski, I got a suit out for you" said Alex. He turned and saw Alex in a red gown, while Sarah was now wearing the sheer blue dress he had bought for her just before Halloween. They were simply breathtaking.

"Wow…" That was all he could say.

"I'll take it as meaning 'you ladies look drop dead gorgeous' and leave it at that," Sarah teased. Chuck snapped back into reality.

"Exactly. Sarah, we're going in as a couple. Forrest, you work your magic on the mark. If you need backup, call room service for some champagne. That will be my cue."

"Roger that. Cristal OK?"

"You have good taste in champagne, Forrest."

"Why, thank you, Bartowski."

Before they left, Chuck slipped the Smith & Wesson in Sarah's purse, just in case they might need some extra firepower. Chuck and Sarah went in first and took seats at the end of the bar that gave them a good view of the room. There was only one glitch; the mark was not there. Forrest noticed that when she entered and frowned. But she moved to the bar and sat near the mark's spot all the same. She made eye contact with Chuck and nodded. She would keep an eye on Sarah while Chuck went to look for the Fulcrum agent.

It was then that Murphy's Law worked again. A minute after Chuck headed for the men's room, the mark returned to the bar. He noticed Sarah and approached her. He started flirting with her. Sarah should have told him that she was already with someone, in which case the other option for the mark would be Forrest. But she rose to the challenge and pretended to enjoy the man's attention. She could be a good actress, as Forrest grudgingly admitted.

"Bartowski, get your butt back here," Alex said into her watch communicator.

"What is it? You found him?" came the reply.

"Yes, we found him. He's all over your girlfriend."

"Damn. Don't lose them."

By the time Chuck returned to the bar, the mark and Sarah were heading to the elevators arm in arm. Forrest was understandably nervous.

"Shit. Sarah should have shot him down. That would have made him come to you."

"I know. Let's go follow them."

The two agents had to wait for an elevator to descend to the lobby, listening in to the conversation as the mark took Sarah to his suite.

"Nice room you have," they heard Sarah say. Good thing she had her communicator on.

"I'm accustomed to the best," the man replied in a British accent.

"I'm still thirsty. Can you please get us another drink?

"Sure. Would some more champagne be alright, love?"

"I'd love some more Cristal."

"I have some in here."

The next thing Alex and Chuck heard was an anguished 'oof', some shuffling and the metallic click of a gun being cocked. They raced to the suite and kicked the door open. Sarah was sitting comfortably in a chair, champagne flute in one hand, the Smith & Wesson in the other, pointed at the enemy agent, who was doubled over on the floor, hands secured behind his back with zip ties. They looked at Sarah, clearly impressed.

"No matter how big or strong a man is, a knee to the groin will always bring him down," explained Sarah. Chuck made a pained face and then smiled. As a man he knew how painful that could be.

"Good job." Forrest pulled a tranq gun from her purse and shot the man twice, rendering him unconscious.

"Great. Sarah, get his watch. Forrest, I'll go get the van. We'll take him to the Castle."

Back at their secret base, the mark was locked up securely in a holding cell. They would leave him there until the time came for interrogation. He would be out until at least the morning anyway. The General was informed of the developments and was pleased with the successful outcome of the mission up to that point. He also told them to see if they could get the data from the chip, otherwise they should send it to the NSA lab for analysis.

Chuck and Sarah went to Devon's apartment, as Ellie had invited them for dinner and a movie. Ellie's cooking was awesome, as always. Chuck clearly enjoyed the company very much. He felt that he had been given something he had been denied for a long time due to the demands of his job. A place he could call home. Friends. Even a family of sorts. Devon and Ellie had accepted him immediately and went out of their way to actually make him a part of their family. It pained him to see Sarah suffer in silence, knowing that it was not real, but just a cover, forcing herself to put on a happy face. Even he was hurting, because he was acutely aware of the fact that, when he'd have to leave, everybody would be devastated. He did not want to do this to them, but he knew it would be inevitable.

The movie over, he kissed Sarah goodnight and returned to his apartment. He decided to concentrate on work and once again bury his feelings deep. They had a Fulcrum agent in custody and could not afford any mistakes.

The next morning, he went to his store but did not open for business. Instead, he waited for Sarah and Alex to come. They had a late shift at the Buy More, which meant that they could help him with the interrogation. He was pleased to see that Alex had the foresight to be out of her Buy More uniform, in casual clothes and have Sarah do the same. They would change to go to work later. Thus the Fulcrum agent would not be able to connect them to the electronics store.

The British man was soon restrained in the interrogation room and began to come to. He was still a little groggy from the aftereffects of the tranquilizer, but it was obvious that he was a well trained and experienced agent, as he quickly took in the surroundings. His eyes rested on Sarah.

"Oh, hello love. Sorry if I went a bit over the top last night."

"Enough with the foreplay, dirtbag. We know you are Fulcrum. So, start talking unless you want things to turn ugly," said Forrest, her tone cold as ice.

"Who are you people? CIA?"

"Does it matter?"

"It does, as you bloody Yanks just ruined months of undercover work. I'm not Fulcrum. I'm MI6. British intelligence service." The man's statement was not what they expected.

"Really?" asked Chuck. "What are you doing here?"

"The short version is that many Intelligence Service agents have been recruited by American contacts into Fulcrum. They are forming a subsidiary of sorts in the UK. I managed to intercept a courier and acquire a chip containing a number of Fulcrum agents in Britain and their contacts in the US."

"The chip in your watch. We know about that," Sarah said smugly.

"You do?"

"Who do you think we are, amateurs?" She decided to further the interrogation and added "What were you going to do with it?"

"Find a way to retrieve the data, of course. I was trying to find a contact with access to a decryption device."

"If you're lying, we'll know it. Right now, we need to verify that you are indeed MI6. What's your name?" asked Chuck.

"Cole Barker of the Clan Barker. I'm from Scotland."

"Are you immortal too?" asked Sarah with a smile.

"I beg your pardon?"

Sarah, Alex and Chuck just laughed at his confused expression. Cole realized why and started laughing himself.

"No, love, I'm not. I guess that you did not find a sword in my things."

"No, we did not."

"If you'll excuse us, Mr. Barker," said Chuck and the three left the Scot alone still secured to his chair.

"We have confirmed Agent Barker's identity," General Casey said over the videoconference link, "and we expect you to work with him to find a decrypter. If successful, it would be beneficial both to us and the Limeys to learn the names of agents who turned Fulcrum. But under no circumstances is he to learn about the Intersect."

"We have that covered, General. We'll introduce Walker to him as an analyst, as usual," said Forrest.

"General," said Sarah, "my flash included the schematics of the chip. I think I can hack into it. If I manage to do it we will not need the decryption device."

"Are you sure you can do it, Ms. Walker?"

"Yes, General. All I'll need is access to the decryption software of our mainframe computer and a secure room to work in. The chip may have a transponder in it which functions as an alarm when an unauthorized attempt to access the contents is made."

"Very well, Ms. Walker. Major Forrest, please make sure she gets what she needs."

"Yes, General."

Among the information Casey sent them was Cole Barker's file. Sarah started reading; he was born at a hospital in Edinburgh, but was from the Highlands. He had served with the 22nd SAS Regiment with distinction before being recruited by MI6. His record had been exemplary, the only black mark being the observation that he was quite a womanizer.

"This guy fancies himself a James Bond," remarked Alex.

"That would be a good description. He did try to do the Bond moves with me last night."

"Hey ladies, is this the information Casey sent us? Sarah, why are you not working on the chip?"

"I need some stuff we don't have here. I can't take the equipment from the Buy More without having to answer a few awkward questions. So, I just emailed the General with a list of what I'll need."

"I see. OK then, I'll just go see to our guest."

Chuck and Alex were upstairs at the SD&M while Cole made himself comfortable in the Castle's guest quarters. Sarah had gone to the Buy More to clock in and was now back downstairs, ostensibly on a difficult Nerd Herd service job, working to get past the encryption on the chip. As it turned out, it did not have a hacker alarm, so she had the workshop door open. Cole strutted in, fresh from the shower and wearing only a towel around his waist.

"Hello again, love. Am I interrupting anything?"

"As a matter of fact, yes, I'm very busy right now, Agent Barker," Sarah replied coolly.

"Is there anything I can do to make it easier for you? A massage, perhaps?" Cole asked and Sarah looked up from the computer and saw him leaning on her desk in his almost nonexistent attire.

"For the record, Agent Barker, I'm not interested. And please put some clothes on. You are on US Government property, you know."

Cole smiled. He then took the towel off and dropped it on the desk.

"As you wish, darling," he said before heading to his quarters.

Chuck and Alex, watching the video feed from the workshop were mildly shocked. And impressed with Sarah, for she managed to keep her cool.

"Impressive," Alex commented on Cole's physique.

"Asshole," Chuck muttered angrily under his breath. Sarah was not a mark, so she deserved a lot more respect than what Cole was showing her.

It took Sarah another hour to weasel and batter her way through and past the encryption and the firewalls of the chip. But when she did, they hit the mother lode. She called the others and presented them with the list of UK Fulcrum agents and their US contacts.

"Excellent work Sarah," Chuck said.

"That's my Nerd Girl," Alex said, clapping Sarah on the back.

"I'm suitably impressed," Cole added.

"Thanks everyone, but I have to go back to the store. I've been gone too long already." Sarah left to return to the Buy More. The others called General Casey and informed him of their, or rather Sarah's, success and also sent him a copy of the list. They also made another request, which Casey said he would try to grant as soon as possible. Cole also thanked the NSA Director and the two agents for the hospitality and help with his mission, before taking a copy of the list and heading back to his hotel.

While at work, Sarah managed, with Morgan's help, to make Alex's absence pass unnoticed by Big Mike until she returned from the briefing. When they clocked out, the two women went right back to the SD&M to find Chuck. He told them that Cole had invited the three of them to his hotel for celebratory drinks.

Chuck pulled the Charger into the hotel parking lot. They were about to exit the car, when Sarah happened to take a casual look at a van parked nearby and promptly flashed.

"Fulcrum's here. One agent in that van over there," she told her handlers.

"They are after Barker," concluded Chuck.

"Shit. He has the list. They'll want to know how he got it."

"Cole is a tough guy. I'm sure he'll hold," said Sarah.

"Sarah, everybody talks."

"Let's go get him. Walker, stay in the car." With that, Alex first went to take care of the Fulcrum operative in the van. Then she and Chuck headed up to Cole's room, after sending Sarah a few blocks away and once again reminding her to stay in the car.

Barging into the room, they found three Fulcrum men down and another three working Cole over, demanding to know how he managed to read the chip and get the list. Chuck and Alex quickly took them out and called for a cleaner team. They contacted Casey who decided that it would be safer to send Cole back to the UK immediately. Sarah, Chuck and Alex escorted him to the airport and saw him off the next morning, Cole having spent the night in Castle with Chuck providing additional security. Cole also insisted on having a group photo taken as a memento of his visit to Burbank and the others did him the favor.

A few days later, Sarah returned to her apartment after she and Morgan won a local Call of Duty tournament. Ellie and Devon greeted her warmly and hugged her.

"Congratulations Sarah," said Ellie.

"It was just a local tournament, Ellie, no big deal."

"I'm not talking about a stupid game. I'm talking about this."

"What is this?" Sarah asked taking the package. She opened it and saw that it was a Stanford degree in Electrical Engineering – in her name. "My diploma…" she mumbled. Ellie squealed happily and Devon's smile stretched from ear to ear as he looked proudly at his little sister.

"C'mon, don't act so surprised, sis. Chuck also told us what you've been doing behind our backs," he said.

"He did?"

"Yes," Ellie said, "why didn't you tell us you were taking online courses?"

"Oh, that… Well…"

"You two have some celebrating to do. He's out back," Devon said, handing her a couple of beers. Sarah went to the back yard to find Chuck.

"Thanks for my fake diploma Chuck," she said when they were alone.

"What do you mean?"

"I get it. You had one of your CIA pals doctor it up to get Devon and Ellie off my back."

"It's real, Sarah. You graduated."

"What about my last twelve credits?"

"Alex and I figured that your exceptional field service ought to count for something and Stanford agreed. Casey helped too."

"And by exceptional you mean hacking into encrypted chips and retrieving critical intelligence?"

"Electrical engineering," Chuck said, taking a sip of his beer.

"And kicking suspected enemy agents in the balls?"

"Physical education."

"Thank you Chuck. I'll thank Alex and Casey too."

"You deserve it Sarah." He hugged her and she held on to him for a few minutes, trying to absorb it all. She was very happy tonight. So happy she was almost afraid it wasn't real, that she was dreaming. Chuck took her hand and led her back inside to Devon and Ellie.

They were still enjoying their drinks and celebrating Sarah's success when the doorbell rang. Devon answered the door; it was a World Send delivery man. Chuck and Alex frowned. Normally such deliveries would be made to Forrest's place, as the company was NSA owned. The man said he had a delivery for a Sarah Walker. She signed for it and was given a large package and a letter.

"What's that?" Ellie asked pointing to a checkered ribbon around the envelope.

"It's a tartan," replied Sarah.

"Come again?" asked Devon, who had not heard the answer.

"Tartan, Scottish clan colors; this belongs to Clan Barker."

"How do you know?"

"I did a service call for a Barker."

"Well, open it, Sarah," said Chuck. She did and read the letter aloud.

"To the best Nerd Herder, from a most satisfied customer. Signed, CB."

"What did he send you?"

"Let's see," Sarah said and opened the package. Inside, there was a wooden box, which opened to become a display case of some sort. They did open it and the contents gave them quite a surprise. There were several bottles in there, all having the characteristic shape of Johnnie Walker bottles, with labels in all colors made by that company; red, black, blue, green, two of each. But they were a bit different: The cap had the Nerd Herd 'Running Man' logo on the top, and in place of the trademark man on the label was an excellent likeness of Sarah in her Nerd Herd uniform. And the bottles were labeled 'Sarah Walker Scotch Whisky'. Also included was a certificate of authenticity from the distillery for the whole custom set. Chuck was the first to break the awe-induced silence.

"Well, Sarah told me that this Barker fellow was connected, but I could never imagine exactly how well connected." Everybody laughed heartily at that comment. For a client to go to such lengths to thank a Nerd Herder it meant that the job had been very important. Sarah and Chuck knew the truth, but they couldn't tell the others. Still, it was a very nice gesture.

Later, the celebration was over and Sarah went to her room to get some rest. She would have to go back to the daily grind of the Buy More in the morning and in addition she might have to go on a new mission for her other job. She didn't mind. Anything tomorrow had in store for her, she would take it in stride. Chuck's words from an earlier conversation echoed in her mind: _"You are Sarah Walker. You can do anything. I've seen you in action." _


	8. Chapter 8 Sarah vs The Dark Side

**A/N (1):** First of all, I really had fun with this chapter. I hope you'll find it funny too.

I'm thoroughly bored repeating the disclaimers. Look them up in the previous chapters.

Brief summary: Carina comes back into town. Her arrival is the first in a chain of events that will result in Sarah leaving a trail of mayhem in her wake.

**Sarah vs the Dark Side**

"CIA. Let her go," Chuck said, getting out of his car and showing the Secret Service agents his badge. Immediately they let Alex Forrest get up from where they held her on the ground and gave her gun back to her.

"Where is Sarah?" Chuck asked Forrest. She looked at the Herder which was speeding away from them.

"Heroic imbecile took off with the bomb," she replied tersely. "Get out of there, Walker!"

"Sarah…" muttered Chuck. A passing tram car blocked their view of the Matrix. The two partners instinctively took off running after it. The next thing they saw was the Herder exploding. They stopped in their tracks. Chuck looked stricken, unbelieving. He could not bring himself to accept that Sarah, sweet, innocent Sarah, _HIS _Sarah, was dead. Alex was also looking at the burning wreck of the small car in shock. Tears welled up in her eyes and started rolling down her cheeks. It was totally out of character for her, but she didn't care; she'd just failed in her mission and lost a partner, a friend. Not an asset. To them Sarah Walker had long ago ceased being a mere asset. The Secret Service men and the ambassador they were protecting looked at the two agents with a mixture of sadness and sympathy.

"Now, that was sweet," they heard Sarah's voice say. Stunned, they turned and just stared at her as she emerged from behind one of the pillars supporting the overpass holding the Herder's remote control in her hands, a satisfied smile on her face as she looked at the fiery results of her handiwork. She had been too focused on controlling the car to realize that the others had not seen her and did not know she'd been safe all the time. She noticed the looks on their faces and Alex's tears and immediately understood what they'd been thinking.

"You didn't think I was… No, I was just using this." She hefted the remote in one hand. Chuck recovered first and pulled Sarah into a big hug. Alex joined in without hesitation. The ambassador and his protection detail smiled and applauded as the three broke the hug and put their arms around each other's shoulders and made their way back to Chuck's car.

Later, they had given their report to the General, who once again commended Sarah for her resourcefulness and courage. Chuck went to his apartment to shower and change, while Sarah stayed with Alex.

"Alex," she said, "I'm sorry. For making it look like I was… I didn't mean to do that."

"It's OK Walker." Forrest paused. She'd let her human side show and Sarah had seen it. The damage was done. She took a deep breath and continued. "A long time ago I lost a partner. He was a good man and we always looked out for each other. When he was gone… It really hurt. That's why I chose to work alone after that. Why I wanted to take you for the NSA the night we met. After you defused that bomb, remember? I didn't know Bartowski personally, but I'd heard about him; he's one of the best, but I still did not want a partner, even after we were introduced. Before the introductions I thought he was just another CIA prick. Not that it would have mattered. Eventually they'd have me and you working in the field and I'd feel the same. I'd see you as a partner of sorts, just like I do right now. I just know I would. When I thought we'd lost you, the pain of losing a partner came back... What are you doing? Step back, Walker, no hugs! Enough with the girly feelings!"

"Alex, it's a partner hug. Take it." Alex relented. The two women embraced and held on to each other for a while. "Better?" Sarah asked.

"Yeah."

"That's great… Partner." They let go of each other.

"Just keep it in your pants Walker."

"Ah, the Alex Forrest we all know and love. Welcome back."

"Stow it."

Sarah returned to her place and immediately decided on a nice bubble bath. She even filched a bottle of wine from Ellie's stash and within minutes she was luxuriating in the bathtub, wine glass in one hand, comic book in the other. Some time later she finally decided to get out of the tub, as the water had gone too cold for her liking. She quickly rinsed off and wrapped a towel around her body before heading to her room to get dressed. She had barely stepped inside when she became aware of another presence in the room. Sure enough, there was another person sitting at her desk. Sarah managed not to scream, only a muffled gasp escaping her throat, as she reasoned that if the intruder represented any kind of threat Alex would have been on him like a school of piranhas after a skinny dipping missionary. Pursing her lips, she turned on the light.

"Hello Sarah."

"Carina. Nice of you to drop by."

"Nice seeing you too, Sarah. So, how's it going?" Carina rose and hugged her friend. Neither was bothered by the fact that Sarah was half naked.

"Fine, thanks. What about you?"

"I just got a few days off. I came here to see you and have fun, as I promised you last time."

"Great! One question."

"Shoot."

"Did you drop by Chuck's place yet?" The memory of the way Carina preferred to meet with Chuck was still in Sarah's mind.

"No," Carina laughed, "I came straight here from the airport. I also said hello to Forrest next door. Why? Do you want to come with me and surprise Chuck?"

"What? Hah, no. I'm no ninja."

"Good. A girls' night out is just what the doctor ordered." With that Carina reached out and yanked the towel off Sarah's body with a flourish. "I took the liberty of picking out a nice little outfit for you," she said, pointing to the clothes laid out neatly on the bed. "Get dressed."

Unfortunately, Chuck chose this moment to enter through the Morgan door and the first thing he saw was a gloriously naked Sarah Walker gracefully leaning forward to pick up a pair of lacy boy shorts from the bed. The greeting died in his throat.

"Hi Sa-" He stood there frozen, while Sarah looked back at him with a deer in the headlights expression. They both snapped out of it in the same instant, Chuck covering his eyes with a hand and turning back towards the courtyard, while Sarah grabbed the dress from the bed and covered herself with it. Carina just started laughing, hard, until it brought tears to her eyes and even then she couldn't make herself stop. She managed to regain her composure just as Sarah finished getting dressed a few minutes later.

"You can come in now Chucky, Sarah's decent," she called out to him. Chuck just poked his head inside the room.

"Oh, hi Carina. Sarah, sorry about that," he said sheepishly, still hugely embarrassed. Only his seduction training by the all time master Roan Montgomery prevented him from blushing. Sarah was a different story; she had blushed right down to her toes. Of course, the loud laughter they all suddenly heard coming from Alex's apartment did not exactly help. Forrest must have just reviewed the surveillance footage from Sarah's room. Carina saw the exchange of guilty looks and just laughed again, harder. She only stopped when she was completely out of breath. Luckily, Devon was out helping a frat brother of his move to his new house and Ellie was working at the hospital.

"So, Chuckles, what brings you here?" asked Carina.

"I just came to see if Sarah wanted to go out. You know, to maintain our cover."

"Uh-uh. Can't do. I'm taking Sarah out tonight for some quality time and girl talk. No boys allowed."

"Oh, I see. Well, it's just fine by me. If you ladies will excuse me."

"See you tomorrow Chuck," Sarah called after him.

Chuck went straight to Forrest's apartment and tried to convince her to destroy the surveillance tape. Alex refused at first, just to see him squirm, but in the end countered with a proposal of her own; they would give the tape to Sarah and let her do what she wanted with it. It was a reasonable compromise and Chuck agreed.

As he was about to leave, pondering on whether he should go to the Castle and do some paperwork, go back to his apartment and relax, or follow the girls to make sure Sarah was protected, Devon returned.

"Hey Chuck! Did you and Sarah go out today?"

"No Captain. I came to see if she wanted to go out, but she has other plans."

"Other plans? What plans could Sarah have that do not involve you?"

"Does the name Carina Miller ring a bell?"

"Carina? Her friend from high school?"

"The same."

"She's here?"

"In your sister's room. They are getting ready for a girls' night out." Devon made a face when he heard that. "What?" Chuck asked.

"That might be a bit of a problem. You see, Carina is a bit… Let's just say impulsive, you know, about men… Basically, as I remember her, she's good girl, but at times she can be a borderline slut."

"And Sarah knows about that, right?"

"Sure she does. If anything, she might be able to moderate Carina a little, now that I think of it. I don't believe Carina will ever manage to make Sarah do… anything out of character."

"I'm sure Sarah will keep her wits about her. Don't worry, Captain. We both know she's a very decent and proper girl."

"Hey Chucky! Devon, nice to see you after all those years," Carina said, coming out of the apartment with Sarah. Both girls were dressed to kill. She reached up and gave Devon a peck on the cheek. "Sarah tells me you're taken and she absolutely won't let me take a shot at you. Whoever managed to ensnare you is a very lucky girl," she added.

"Yes, that she is. Ellie's the woman of my life."

"OK, boys, enough talking. We girls are outta here. Don't wait up!"

"Since we are two debonair men about town left to our own devices by the women we love, what do you propose we do, Chuck?"

"I might have an idea," came Morgan's voice from behind them. "I just ran into Sarah and Carina. They said something about a girls only thing. I was coming to see if Sarah wanted to do some gaming, but it looks like we guys all have to modify our plans for tonight."

"Let's hear your idea, Morgan," said Chuck.

"It's poker night at the Buy More. We managed to keep it secret from the Ass Man and-"

"Morgan, who is the Ass Man?" Devon asked.

"Emmett Milbarge, the new **ass**istant **man**ager, who happens to be a real pain in the ass."

"Is he as bad as Alex and Sarah say?"

"Worse, Chuck, the whole situation is much worse. Emmett's drunk with power, dude. Becoming the assistant manager of one of the most prestigious Buy More stores, while before he was just a lowly efficiency expert sent hither and thither by corporate, has really gotten to his head. But from what I've seen he can't handle Sarah and he's scared to death of Alex, both of which I can understand. Sarah's smart, way above his league and Alex… well, she can be _very_ intimidating."

Chuck had finally made up his mind. A poker night sounded good. Besides, Carina was a great agent, so Sarah would be adequately protected, even without her handlers, scratch that, her _partners_ around.

Carina had taken Sarah to the SkyBar at the Mondrian Hotel. They opted to take one of the funny looking red booths at the outdoor area by the pool. Carina regaled Sarah with tales of her wild adventures as a DEA agent, while Sarah mentioned some of the funniest moments she'd had while working with Chuck and Alex. She had been careful not to let slip anything about the Intersect.

"… And then KABOOM! Let me tell you, whoever decided to add a remote control feature must be a big James Bond fan. Oh, Chuck and Alex thought that I was inside the car the whole time. Imagine their surprise and relief when they saw me alive and well, instead of being… y' know, like the corndogs I used to make at the Wienerlicious before they had the automatic fryer installed."

"Yikes. Sarah, you must have been the worst cook ever to work at that place."

"You've told me that a million times."

"Have you improved over the years?"

"Not until Devon went to UCLA. Then I had to do my own cooking while he was away, so I progressed to nuking frozen TV dinners in the microwave. But when Ellie, Devon's fiancée, came to live with us she summarily took over the kitchen. It's her domain now. And she's trying to turn me into an adequate cook so as to make me more, how to phrase it, girly."

"You _are _a girly girl, Sarah."

"I am, but I'm also a nerd. Which just happens to be my dominant personality trait."

"You just sounded like a damn shrink," Carina laughed.

At the Buy More, Chuck and Devon did not for a moment regret accepting Morgan's invitation to the weekly poker night. In fact, they were having a blast. Beer was flowing freely, banter and laughter echoed in the employees' break room.

"Read 'em and weep, Chuck. Straight, in diamonds," Lester said, grinning smugly and moved to collect the pot.

"Not so fast, Lester." Chuck started laying his cards on the table. King of Spades; Queen of Spades; Jack of Spades; Ten of Spades; and finally, the Ace of Spades.

"We have a royal flush!" exclaimed Morgan.

"Bro, congratulations!" added Devon.

"Pay up, Lester," Chuck said.

"You cleaned us out, guys," said Lester dejectedly. The poker night was over. Chuck collected his winnings. Normally, when Sarah and Morgan played poker, they would pool the money they'd won and buy something they both liked; a new video game, various stuff from Comic Con, computer and video game console accessories, books and comics. This time Chuck suggested they either split the money three ways, or save it and spend it later on a common venture. They unanimously went for the latter option. Devon would be entrusted with safekeeping the money until they would decide how to spend it.

Carina and Sarah were meanwhile halfway through their third drink each. Thankfully, Carina would not drive. They would take a cab later. For the moment, they were content to talk about one of Carina's favorite subjects: men.

"Tell me something Sarah; you and Chuckles have been cover dating for what, a year now?"

"A little longer than that, it's almost a year and a half now."

"And you haven't done anything?"

"Sure we did. We've cuddled together, kissed several times…"

"No, Sarah, I mean, have you done _it_?"

"It? What it?"

"The deed. The horizontal mambo. Sex, Sarah, sex for cryin' out loud. Have you done it?"

"No, we have not. It would be unprofessional."

"Un-fucking-professional? C'mon, Sarah, I've seen how he looks at you and I also know that you are crazy about him. You can't fool me."

"No matter how we feel about each other, we must stay focused on the job. Otherwise our boss might see fit to reassign us."

"Caught between a rock and a hard place, huh?"

"Yes."

"Damn. Still, if I were you, I'd consider it my patriotic duty to give the guy some satisfaction. And you also deserve a reward, a motivation to be better at your job, if you prefer. And what better than killing two birds with one stone?"

"You make it all sound so easy…"

"It can be easy."

"For you maybe. If you see a man you like…" Sarah waved her hand around and never finished the sentence, because a flash hit her. Carina looked at her friend with concern.

"Sarah? Are you alright?"

"What? Uh, yeah, I'm OK. Just a bit dizzy. I think I had too much to drink."

"Looks like it. Seriously, if you feel you need to throw up, tell me. I'll help you to the bathroom."

"That's not the problem."

"What is it then?"

"I recognized a drug dealer. The guy in that hideous salmon pink suit over there."

"I see him. Who is he?"

"Pieter Van Der Broome. He's an ecstasy manufacturer and wholesale dealer from Amsterdam and he is also working on a number of new synthetic drugs. Mostly performance enhancing stuff. I recently saw his file at work." Sarah hoped that Carina would swallow the lie and not suspect anything about the Intersect, which she was totally unaware of, even though she unknowingly witnessed the flash.

"Van Der Broome, huh? It sounds vaguely familiar. I'll have to check with my people."

"I think we need to call Chuck."

"Why's that?"

"One of the people over there is not your average drug dealer. In fact the CIA's been after him for a while now."

"OK. Call Chuck. I'll pull security."

"You got a gun?"

"Gun, knives, knuckleduster, the whole enchilada. And I'm sober enough to use them. As opposed to you."

"I never drink much, so I have a low alcohol tolerance."

"I know. Why do you think I was trying to get you drunk?"

"You were going to set me up with a guy?"

"Oh, don't act so offended, Sarah. You really need to get laid. And call Chuck already!"

Sarah obediently fished her iPhone from her purse and called Chuck.

"Hello," he replied.

"Chuck? Sarah here. I'm with Carina at the SkyBar, the one at the hotel, what's its name…"

"Mondrian!" said Carina.

"At the Mondrian, on Sunset Boulevard, West Hollywood, heard that Chuck?"

"Yes, I heard you. What's going on?"

"I saw someone I recognized from one of our files."

"You flashed."

"Yes, exactly. He's a drug dealer and getting chummy with another guy from our favorite villain cabal."

"There's a Fulcrum agent there?"

"Yes, that's right."

"Fuck! Sarah, listen. Don't try anything stupid. I'll get Forrest and we'll meet you there. For now just watch them and keep your distance. Do you hear me?"

"Yes, I hear you." Sarah ended the call. "Chuck says to keep an eye on them and not try anything stupid," she told Carina.

"I wouldn't do anything given the condition you're in."

"C'mon, Forrest, pick up," Chuck said under his breath while driving to Sarah's location.

"What is it Bartowski?"

"Forrest! Go to the Mondrian Hotel on Sunset. Take the van. Sarah's there with Carina and she flashed!"

"I'm on my way!"

Chuck and Alex arrived at the hotel almost at the same moment and hurried together to the bar. Chuck's expression was one of relief when he spotted Sarah and Carina in their booth appearing to act normal. The two agents moved casually over to them.

"Good thing you stayed put Carina," Chuck said.

"What else was I supposed to do? Look at her. She's a bit wasted."

"Alex, take Sarah to the van. Carina, you and I will continue surveillance, OK?"

"I'm with you."

Forrest took Sarah to the van and then went to a nearby coffee shop and got a cup of the strongest brew for Sarah to help her sober up. Sarah nodded gratefully as she sipped the scalding liquid.

"OK, Walker, give me the details."

"I identified a Dutch drug dealer and his client, who happens to be Fulcrum."

"Is Fulcrum in the drug business now?"

"I think they are looking to buy performance enhancing drugs, military grade. Stuff you can't find in the neighborhood drugstore."

"Call the General and report exactly what was in your flash. Tell him the DEA is involved too. I'll be keeping an eye out."

Sarah established a video link with Casey's office and quickly told him what had transpired. The General was satisfied with how they handled the situation and somewhat puzzled as to why Carina hadn't done anything rash. Sarah explained that she'd had a bit too much to drink and Carina did not want to endanger her, given her condition. She hurriedly added that she was sober now. Casey laughed and told her that she deserved a good time as often as she could get it, and essentially apologized for the Intersect ruining Sarah's evening out. He then told them to maintain surveillance and report back to him. They would also have a NSA tactical team at their disposal should they decide to take Fulcrum's drug operation down. Sarah relayed all that to Alex and Chuck.

The combined NSA/CIA/DEA/Intersect (Sarah) team followed the drug dealer and his Fulcrum customer to a waterfront warehouse. They were met there by the NSA tactical unit Casey had detailed to assist them. In the van Chuck, Sarah, Carina and Alex changed into tactical gear. All were now clad in black BDUs and wearing body armor with outer tactical load bearing vests, Kevlar helmets, protective eyewear and communications equipment. Chuck also carried a G36K assault rifle and his .45, while Alex took an H&K 416 carbine in addition to her SIG P229. Carina only had her USP Compact. As a finishing touch Alex strapped a holster with the Smith & Wesson 5906 on Sarah's thigh.

"If you wanna look like an agent, you need a gun Walker," she said.

"Thanks. Not that I'll actually need it."

"That's what we're here for," Chuck said and winked.

Thermal sensor sweeps indicated that they had stumbled upon an operation of a magnitude they could not have foreseen. A complete drug manufacturing facility was inside the warehouse. The NSA team alone would not be enough, so for the moment they just kept the area under surveillance, until Casey could get the DEA to send some more muscle to help. Carina had talked to her boss and explained that they had a national security matter and a drug operation to deal with, so Casey had no problem getting them the additional backup.

The assault proceeded smoothly at first. But when they got to one of the production sections, the shit hit the turboprop. One of the guards spotted them and opened fire. Chuck fired back with his G36K, covering Alex who moved to a better position and took the guard out with a well aimed shot. The other guards were now alert and the skirmish turned into a full blown gun battle. The combined tactical teams and the agents quickly gained the upper hand thanks to their superior training and teamwork.

At the drug storage and shipping level, however, a guard they had missed fired at them with a shotgun. He didn't hit anyone before he was cut down by a hail of bullets, but his shot ruptured a canister near Sarah, splashing her with a colorless liquid, some of which she inadvertently swallowed.

"Uh, guys… I think I drank some of this crap," she said.

"What? Shit, we gotta get her to the paramedics," said Chuck. Carina moved to the canister and carefully read the label.

"Sarah's gonna be fine," she said. "It's only a synthetic amphetamine solution, not very concentrated and similar to the stuff military personnel are sometimes given to enable them to stay alert for longer periods than usual. At the most she'll be hyperactive for a while, before it wears off."

"Looks like it's already kicking in. Her pupils are the size of saucers," said Forrest.

"Carina, Forrest, take Sarah to the van. Make sure she's comfortable and give her plenty of fluids to drink. The sooner that stuff is out of her system the better. I'll stay here with the teams."

Soon, Sarah was sitting comfortably in the van, drinking from a bottle of water. The others had gone back to clearing the warehouse. Out of the corner of her eye Sarah suddenly saw a lone figure making a break for a nearby building. It was the Fulcrum agent and managed to stay unseen by the DEA men securing the perimeter. Sarah fumbled with her tactical radio to warn the others. Nothing. She checked it and saw that it had stopped a buckshot pellet. It was not a total loss, but currently unserviceable. The bastard was going to get away. Sarah was really pissed now. The combination of alcohol, caffeine, amphetamine and good old adrenaline flowing through her body must have somewhat affected her thinking. There was no other explanation for what followed.

She drew her gun and chambered a round before grabbing a tranq gun with an extra clip plus a pack of zip ties as well. She then ran to where she'd seen the Fulcrum agent go. One of the DEA snipers saw her and reported to Chuck that a friendly was on the move towards another building. Chuck realized to his horror that the aforementioned friendly could only be Sarah. He immediately told Forrest and they decided to relinquish command of the warehouse clearing to Carina. It was full of drugs and she was a DEA agent, after all. Then they took off to find Sarah. They made an unspoken pact not to tell Casey that she had once again put herself at risk.

The two partners soon entered the building indicated by the DEA sniper team, where an amazing sight greeted them. Three men were down on the floor, secured with zip ties, tranq darts sticking out of their bodies, their guns tossed across the room. A brunette woman was still conscious, sobbing in a corner. She was also securely bound with zip ties. Her lower lip was puffed and bleeding, she had a black eye that was swelling shut and there was a big ugly bruise on her left cheek. Her makeup was smeared all over her face. Alex moved over to her and grabbed her by her suit jacket.

"What happened here?" she asked brusquely.

"A… A crazy blonde just came in here and… She took the guards out and then made me tell her where to find my boss. She went down the corridor," the woman said between sobs and sniffles. Forrest looked at Chuck before they resumed their search for Sarah. They came upon several more Fulcrum people in the corridor and the next rooms, also tranqed and bound.

"What happened here?" Alex asked, picking up Sarah's discarded tranq gun.

"Looks like Hurricane Sarah tore through this place," he replied. She did not have a chance to comment on that; they heard gunfire coming from a flight of stairs further down the corridor. Throwing caution to the wind, they ran to where the sound was coming from, suddenly fearing the worst. All they found was another Fulcrum guard, kneecapped, bound and gagged. Chuck realized that, even in her stoned state, Sarah could not bring herself to kill another human being.

In the meantime, Sarah had turned into another corridor and soon found herself in a glassed in supervisor's box overlooking a huge computer room, where about ten analysts and technicians were working oblivious to the developments outside. She recognized their mark standing near the entrance. She slunk back in the corridor, then down another flight of stairs and casually made her way to the computer room door, confident that her black outfit would help her pass as a guard. It worked. The Fulcrum agent, Frank was his name as she recalled, saw her coming and opened the door to ask her about the situation outside. He paid for the mistake of letting his guard down dearly. Sarah just grunted noncommittally and suddenly her boot-clad foot shot out and connected with Frank's genitals. As he sank to his knees, hands clutching the injured area, Sarah brought the butt of her gun hard on the back of his neck. He fell to the floor in a crumpled heap.

After she incapacitated the Fulcrum agent, Sarah entered the room, fired her gun into the ceiling to get everyone's attention, knocked a tooth or two out of a man who unwisely tried to stop the 'fucking bitch' as he called her and climbed on top of the biggest console, the Smith & Wesson steady in her hand. She looked around the room, her steel blue eyes boring holes in the terrified Fulcrum analysts, programmers and technicians. Finally, she spoke imperiously.

"I am Carmichael. I'm nobody's bitch. You… _Mine._ I don't need to know you. _You_ only need to know _me_! _I _will be THE ONE!"

One of the technicians thought that it might be a good idea to get the Hell out of Dodge and bolted for the door. Sarah's S&W roared and the unfortunate man was slammed to the wall by the force of the bullet's impact and fell to the floor, writhing in pain. A collective gasp escaped the throats of the Fulcrum people in the room.

"Owwww, dammit, she shot me in the ass!" moaned her victim. Sarah casually blew some cordite smoke off the gun's muzzle end.

"I could have shot your balls off. In fact, I might still do it, unless you fuckers play nice, OK?" Her captives nodded frantically. Most had heard about an Agent Carmichael who had been the cause of so much grief for Fulcrum recently. They did not want to push their luck.

Chuck and Alex saw the whole scene from the supervisor's box high up above the computer floor. The look they shared said it all. They hurried downstairs to join Sarah, meeting the tactical team Carina had led inside the Fulcrum compound after finishing the job at the warehouse on the way.

"Took you guys long enough," Sarah said testily as they entered the big room.

Chuck ignored her at first and turned to the Tac Team leader. "Get those people outta here," he ordered. "Shoot anyone who tries anything funny," he added.

"We won't try anything funny," the senior Fulcrum analyst said emphatically. "Just get us the hell away from this psycho."

"She's a psycho, all right, but an Adorable Psycho," Chuck quipped with a smile. _MY Adorable Psycho, _he thought. The room was soon cleared.

With a little yell of joy Sarah leapt from the console to the floor, took her helmet off, throwing it aside, and ran to her handlers. She jumped on Chuck, who clearly did not expect that, locked her arms around his neck and her legs around his waist and planted a big lusty kiss on his lips.

"Agent Charles Bartowski," she said in a husky and slightly slurred voice, "I want you to take me to your place and fuck my brains out till you drop. And you'd better not drop before I'm satisfied. I have to warn you, after going celibate for so long, I'll not be that easy to satisfy. I want you as my personal walking, talking sex toy, for me and only me. And I swear, if I ever see another brunette skank hovering around you, I'm gonna rip her fucking head off. I won't blow your balls or your pecker off, but that's just because I need these particular items for my own pleasure. Capisce? "

"Brunette? What brunette?"

"C'mon Chuck. Jill, well, we can leave her out of this. She's my friend and you knew her long before you met me. But does the name Lou ring a bell, Chuck? Petite, Italian, owns a deli and has the mouth of a trucker, _brunette_?"

"You can't be serious!"

"Like I didn't see how she was practically throwing herself at you. And that 'Chuck sandwich'? Talk about a lame pick up move! And Hannah; did I mention Hannah?"

"What about her? She's a sales rep for diving computers. We just do business, SD&M business."

"Really? Then why doesn't she miss a single opportunity to show you some cleavage every time she's at the store, even when I, your _girlfriend_, am around? Can you believe the nerve of that slut! Not that her tits are anything worth mentioning. Mine are ways better."

"For fuck's sake, Walker, get a grip on yourself," said an exasperated Forrest.

"Whatsamatter, Alex, you jealous? If you wanna join in, all you gotta do is ask, baby," teased Sarah.

"Sarah, you are not thinking straight right now," Chuck managed to say.

"Not thinking straight? Damn right I'm not thinking straight. I haven't been laid in years and I'm fucking tired of taking care of things myself. I want a good, wild, dirty, sinful sexing up. Because I'm Sarah fucking Walker and I've earned it! I deserve it! And if you, the big bad CIA stud, are not up to it, I'm sure Carina would love to do a remake of that wild night we spent together back in the summer of '99. The things that she can do with just her tongue…" The last comment had Chuck and Alex looking back and forth between Sarah and Carina in shock.

"What? We were in college. And we were drunk beyond any semblance of rational thought," said Carina. Their mortification was completed when Sarah reached out with one hand, grabbed a fistful of Carina's load bearing vest and pulled her in for a very suggestive kiss.

"That's for starters, but I'd like the full re-enactment, for old times' sake, just as I remember it," she said salaciously.

"Sarah, Stop that!" Carina protested and tore herself free of her friend's grasp.

"How come she remembers all the details?" Chuck mused.

"I don't know! Sarah's memory had always been freakishly good! Isn't that why she's such a good analyst?"

The two never had a chance to answer as Sarah had a giggling fit.

"Hi-hi-hi-hi... Chuck, y' know, you're handsome as Death's iron face. And you, Alex, if Hugh Hefner ever bought Guns & Ammo, you'd be just the right gal for the centerfold. And, last but not least, Carina. You'd make a great lingerie model. Or a porn star. Or whatever, he-he-he-heee. My original question still stands: Who wants to fuck me? Take me right here, right now?"

"I've had enough," growled Forrest and stuck a tranq dart in Sarah's neck knocking her out cold. Chuck was still holding her, or rather she had still been mostly hanging on to him. He shrugged and hoisted her over his shoulder. The three agents then took Sarah to the van, pausing only for Alex to retrieve the building security camera footage, and drove straight to the Castle. Using Sarah's phone so that it would appear to be her, they texted her brother and informed him that she'd spend the night at Carina's place, so no need to worry.

Back at the base, they called the General and informed him of the operation's success. He told them to supervise the intel gathering at the Fulcrum facility, while Carina would oversee the DEA operation at the warehouse.

They were carrying out their orders when Casey called them an hour later and demanded to know why his remote monitoring team had reported no less than five programs installed and three new user accounts created at the Castle mainframe without proper authorization. Chuck and Alex hurried to the van, where they contacted Casey again over the video link. A window popped up on the side of the screen showing the logs. The new user accounts were N3rdG1rl_01, ChUcKmE and Termin8orB1atch. The programs installed turned out to be the latest first person shooter games. Forrest confessed that Sarah had been intoxicated through accidental ingestion of a narcotic substance and therefore her behavior was not really normal. Chuck was summarily ordered to go stop her before she did any serious damage.

On the way back to Castle Chuck was thinking that while Sarah turned into a harmless cuddly creature when drunk, stoned Sarah was a whole different animal. She seemed to lose most of her inhibitions turning into a bit of a psycho. He wondered why he actually found that adorable as well as a little disturbing. He had even referred to her as an 'Adorable Psycho'. Hell, she had such a dirty mouth that if she happened to walk into a bar, sailors would come running out ten minutes later. Not to mention a jealous streak that could turn downright sadistic, for he now realized why the Fulcrum brunette had been so battered. Ellie was probably the only brunette who'd be safe from Sarah in her current condition.

When he descended into their base, he noticed that Sarah had raided the kitchenette. In addition, it must have been uncomfortably hot for her in there, because her tactical gear, BDU shirt, pants, boots and socks were haphazardly scattered all over the place. He found her in the main room sitting cross-legged on the floor, computer keyboard and mouse on a low table in front of her. She had already gone through a pizza and a bowl of popcorn and was halfway through a pint of Rocky Road ice cream and a two-liter Coke. As he suspected, she was wearing only her lacy boy shorts and a black t-shirt. And she was on a single player killing spree, rampaging her way through a level in Stalker.

"Sarah," he said, after quietly turning off the interior surveillance.

"Yes, Chuck?" She did not look up from the game.

"Sarah, please stop the game."

"Okayyyy." She quit the game and faced him. She smiled sweetly. "Chuck, did you come here to plow me like you are supposed to? Like you should have done a long time ago? Take me! Give it to me hard till I can't stand anymore! Fuck me till I forget my own name!" She rose and held on to him for dear life.

"No, Sarah, I can't."

"Chuuuuck," she whimpered, her eyes pleading. Chuck tucked a stray lock of hair behind her ear and caressed her cheek with one hand.

"No, Sarah. I said I can't. I cannot do this to you. Not the way you're in right now. You must understand me Sarah. You know I'd kill for you; I'd die for you. You are so special to me. As much as I wish things were different, we can't be anything more than friends, at least as long as you are the Intersect. Please. I know it's hard on you. It's not easy for me either." He was speaking softly, hoping that his words would penetrate her drug induced confusion and register in her mind. Apparently he managed it, for her expression softened and she nodded. She held on to him tight and he hugged her back.

The following day Chuck drove Sarah back home from the Buy More. Alex had gone home earlier to do some paperwork. Chuck had also removed all unauthorized additions from Castle's mainframe computer. Devon and Ellie were out looking at potential wedding sites. The door to Forrest's apartment opened.

"Bartowski, Walker, you're here. Good. Wanna come in?" She sounded rather cheerful, which was quite strange. Intrigued, they followed her in. The first thing they noticed was that she was wearing a pair of hot denim shorts and a tank top. Then they saw the popcorn and beers on the coffee table.

"What's going on, Alex?" Sarah asked.

"Sit down. I have yesterday's highlights, unedited, courtesy of Fulcrum's security cams." They all sat down on the couch and helped themselves to popcorn and beer. As the video played, Sarah alternated between blushing in embarrassment and wondering how she was able to do what she did in there, while she was over to the Dark Side, as Chuck jokingly put it. The screen finally went blank. Alex took a bunch of DVDs and gave them to Sarah.

"All the videos from yesterday, including the one in your room. Do with them what you will."

"Thank you Alex."

"That's what partners are for. We cover for each other." Sarah gave Alex another partner hug. Out in the courtyard, she caught up with Chuck, who was about to go get some rest at his place.

"Chuck, you know I'm OK now, right? I wasn't really myself yesterday."

"I know. Drugs can sometimes have a strange effect on people."

"Good. It's business as usual then."

"Exactly."

"Just hope I don't catch that trollop Hannah hitting on you again or I'll go Postal on her ass!"

"Postal?"

"Think of what 'Adorable Psycho' can do to brunettes," she said with a mischievous smile and went inside her apartment before he had a chance to answer.

**A/N (2):** Another chapter finished!

I'd really like to thank **Wepdiggy** for giving me his kind permission to borrow his Adorable Psycho for this chapter. I would have preferred put my thanks up top, but I didn't want to give too many spoilers for the plot.


	9. Chapter 9 Sarah vs The Bunker

**A/N: **I don't own anything in the Chuck-verse. If I did, both it and my life would be a lot different.

Enjoy the new chapter and thank you again for the encouraging reviews on the previous installments.

**Sarah vs the Bunker**

Sarah Walker, also known as the Human Intersect, and her handlers/partners Chuck Bartowski of the CIA and Alexandra Forrest of the NSA shuffled tiredly into the courtyard of the apartment complex where Sarah and Alex lived. They were all wearing grimy and dirty workers' coveralls, wet from the knees down. They stank of sweat, brine from stale bilge water, diesel fuel, lubricants and mold. The top half of Sarah's coveralls was off and tied around her waist as she balanced a huge pipe wrench on one shoulder. Her hair was in a messy bun and her face smeared with grease. Chuck's coveralls were unzipped to the waist, as were Forrest's. The two agents were carrying heavy equipment bags and tool kits.

"We should never do that again," moaned Sarah.

"The plan went OK," Alex answered absentmindedly.

"Yeah, but your plan required us to do actual work on an ancient marine diesel engine that's sixty years old. And, for the record, none of us is a mechanic."

"I'll have to agree with Sarah. No more tinkering with old engines on future missions, especially when said engines are in drug lords' boats. The only engine I like working on is the one in my car," Chuck said.

"Are you going soft Bartowski? We did the job Casey wanted us to do. The transponder and the kill switch were planted okay with nobody the wiser."

"We were lucky that Sarah had a netbook with her and could access the web for the engine's maintenance manual."

"All right, I admit it. She did a good job. Again."

"Sarah, do you want to change at Forrest's?"

"Nah, Awesome is with Ellie at her Dad's birthday party, so I'm good to shower a couple hundred times. We're gonna burn these coveralls, right?"

"Just put all the mission gear in a trash bag and leave it in my place, Walker. The NSA cleaners will pick our stuff up later."

The following morning the intrepid trio went back to their familiar routines; Sarah and Alex at the Buy More, Chuck at 'his' shop. Sarah was a bit puzzled with Alex. She was acting weird lately. Well, weird meaning that she was actually being human. She was being cordial with customers instead of just polite and she was even being nice to Morgan. She made a mental note to ask her about it. It was strange, but she somehow missed the old grumpy Major Forrest sometimes. Not that she didn't like the new Alex Forrest.

For the moment though, she had her hands full at the Nerd Herd desk with a customer who was frantic about the crash of his brand new laptop computer. Crash was putting it mildly. Sarah gave a sad look at the wrecked electronic gadget. Some of the Nerd Herders, plus Morgan and Alex were watching the scene with interest to see if it was worth adding it to the list of 'uniquely stupid ways customers come up with to ruin an electronic device'.

"Sorry, sir, it's a goner," she said.

"What do you mean by 'goner', miss?"

"It's smashed. Did you put it under a heavy object…?"

"I had put it in the trunk of my car in its bag and-"

"And something heavy fell on it, right sir?" Sarah asked. The man nodded miserably.

"Can't you salvage anything?" he asked, his tone pleading.

"I don't know yet, but you'll really have to buy a new one," she said. _And be more careful with it._ This was left unsaid.

"I have very important files from work in there," lamented the man.

"I'll see if I can extract them from the hard drive, but I can make no promises."

"I'd appreciate the effort, miss. When can I expect the results?"

"Sometime tomorrow, I guess. Depending on how bad it is. Just give us a call, sir."

"I will do that, thank you."

After the customer left, the assembled Buy Morians gossiped and joked about customer stupidity.

"… And he tried to connect it to an electricity line, instead of the gas. Idiot was lucky he wasn't electrocuted," Alex said. The others laughed. Yep, it was definitely one for the list. Anna added it to said list on one of the Nerd Herd laptops.

"Alex, prey at two o'clock. Guy ogling a Beast Master," Morgan said.

"He's mine," Alex replied with a predatory gleam in her eyes. "Thanks Grimes."

"Any time…" Morgan said, mimicking Bill Duke's voice from Predator.

"How long do you guys think it'll take her to cinch the sale?" Skip asked.

"Based on past experience, I'd say less than eight minutes," replied Sarah.

"The guy's ass is grass and Alex is the lawn mower," added Morgan.

"Well, well, well… What do we have here?" The annoying voice of Emmett Milbarge was coming from behind them.

"Just admiring a coworker's style in moving merchandise, Emmett," said Morgan.

"And since there are not any customers for us, nor any backlog of repair orders, we can do pretty much what we want, as long as it is not against Buy More regulations," added Sarah. The others voiced their agreement. Alex happened to glance their way and her eyes narrowed when she saw Emmett. He noticed it and hurried to find something else to busy himself with.

Big Mike stepped out of his office and the first thing he saw was a smiling Alex Forrest shaking hands with a customer and congratulating him on his choice of grill.

"Another Beast Master, Blondie Green?" he said after the customer went to pay for his purchase.

"Yes, Big Mike. It seems to be my forte, moving these babies."

"It's official. You, Blondie Nerd and Grimes are my top people."

"Thank you sir."

"No, thank you. This place would go to hell without you three."

"Excuse me, sir," Emmett said, "there was a major infraction the other day."

"What are you talking about Emmett?"

"An unsanctioned poker game took place in the employee break room after hours." Emmett immediately started to regret it as Alex scowled and clenched her fists.

"You know what, Emmett, you should learn to allow people let out some steam, enjoy life. If my employees are happy, I don't care what they do after hours as long as there was no damage done to the store."

"I'll keep that in mind sir."

As lunch time came, Sarah went directly to Chuck's store. Alex followed almost immediately.

"Hi Chuck!"

"Sarah, hi. How was your morning?"

"It was fun, what about yours?"

"Nothing much to tell. I sold a bunch of stuff to some frat guys from UCLA. Other than that, there were few customers today. Oh, I almost forgot. Hannah dropped by for a delivery." He smiled when he saw Sarah's reaction at the mere mention of the petite brunette. "What?" he asked innocently.

"Charles Bartowski, how many times do I have to remind you that we are supposed to be a couple? You fooling around with that brunette skank is definitely not good for the cover. Unless…"

"Unless what, Sarah?"

"Unless you actually want me to make a scene so that we can further reinforce our cover."

"Not a bad idea, Walker," said Alex, who entered the store carrying a humungous pizza and a big bottle of Coke. "I'd love to see a catfight over Agent Casanova here. My money's on you, by the way, so don't disappoint me."

"You think it's good for the mission?"

"Sure, especially if Bartowski manages to get laid in the process. It'll help him keep his focus."

"Forrest, Sarah and I can't-"

"Who said anything about Sarah Walker? I was referring to you getting Miss Short Round between the sheets." Forrest knew that this snide remark would make Sarah bristle. Chuck moved quickly to ease the tension. He started passing around slices of pizza on paper plates and glasses filled with Coke. He winked at Sarah, who immediately calmed down.

"By the way," he said between bites, "we have a briefing with the General in twenty minutes."

"Dandy. New mission," said Forrest.

"I hope we manage to stay clean this time," added Sarah.

Twenty minutes later they were standing in front of the biggest screen in the conference room. Casey's image appeared.

"Good morning, Ms. Walker, Major Forrest and Agent Bartowski. Before we begin, allow me to congratulate you on your very successful mission last night. Our friends in the Coast Guard and the DEA sent their messages of appreciation as well."

"Thank you General," they chorused.

"Now, about your new mission: You, Ms. Walker, are going to a bunker."

"WHAT?" Sarah's reaction was to be expected. Chuck and Alex just stood there slack jawed, rooted in shock. Sarah was positively panicking now. Casey could not help it any more. He burst out laughing.

"No, Ms. Walker, it's not what you think," he said. "The bunker is just another mission. Once it's over, you'll return to Burbank. I'm sorry I scared you." They all breathed a sigh of relief.

"What exactly do you mean, General?" Chuck was the first to be able to speak again.

"Are you familiar with the Cold War era air defense network, Agent Bartowski?"

"Not really, sir."

"There were many sites for Nike series surface to air missiles scattered throughout the country. A few still exist to this day, some of them in California. Many have been turned to other uses, others are museums and still others are simply abandoned."

"Are you saying that we are to investigate one of these sites, General?" Alex asked.

"Yes, Major Forrest, that's exactly what I'm saying. Please be seated, I have a feeling this will turn out to be an interesting briefing." The three complied.

"Sir, if I may hazard a guess… The facility was used by Fulcrum?"

"No, Ms. Walker, but there is a connection to Fulcrum. Last week, a combined CIA/NSA operation went awry. Our teams had been pinned down and would have been annihilated, but one X-45 UCAV appeared out of nowhere and supported our people until they managed to overcome Fulcrum's force and recover valuable intelligence. Only the drone was not under the control of its Air Force operators at the time."

"A hacker assumed control of one of the most sophisticated pieces of hardware the military has in development and used it to help us?" Chuck asked.

"In a nutshell, yes. Apparently we have an ally somewhere."

"You should give the guy a medal, sir," commented Forrest.

"Oh, I will, if I ever get to meet him. He used a very complex algorithm to hack into the USAF's system. Our tech guys only managed to trace the signal's signature yesterday."

"To a Cold War vintage SAM site."

"Yes, exactly. But not just any site, Major. If you do a quick search in Wikipedia, you'll find the sites listed along with their current status. The site the signal originated from is not among them. It is isolated, very difficult to access and not listed anywhere as a military installation. Not even in USAF records. It was confirmed through examination of satellite imagery that it is indeed a Nike site, however."

"Conspiracy theorists would have a field day with it," laughed Sarah. "They'd think that its sole purpose was to protect a secret government facility housing, I don't know, aliens, Jimmy Hoffa, or whatever." Strangely enough, the General did not appear to mind the interruption. If anything, he grunted a very amused grunt. Chuckles were also heard coming from the two agents.

"Anyway," the General said, "the fact remains that you will have to go there and see if there is anything in the Intersect that can help determine the identity of our mysterious friend. I will have a helicopter waiting for you at a small private airfield. Agent Bartowski can fly it. As usual, details are in the file I just sent you. And, Agent Bartowski, I suggest you take some equipment from your shop. You may have to stay out there for a few days."

"I can close up shop, sir, but what about Sarah and Forrest? How are they going to explain their absence?"

"We both have some leave time we can take, Bartowski."

"It's settled then."

"General, one more thing," said Sarah. The others looked at her. She stood, hands clasped together in front of her, head lowered, looking like a schoolgirl about to confess something to the principal.

"What is it, Ms. Walker?" Casey asked and Sarah took a deep breath before answering.

"Sir, I was contacted by Orion last night."

"You were what? How?"

"Through my computer, sir. I guess my search bot hit one of his security nets. I made a specialized search program to canvass the web for any clues pertaining to Orion since the late Dr. Busgang mentioned him."

"Are you sure it was Orion?"

"Positive, sir. He knows I'm the Intersect. He also sent me an image on which I flashed. That helped me confirm his identity."

"Strange thing, Orion coming out of the cold now. A most fortunate coincidence, I believe."

"General, what if it was Orion who took over that UCAV?"

"Yes, Ms. Walker, the thought crossed my mind. His computers are next gen. If we could get him back on our side-"

"Sir, he _is_ on our side. If the above is true."

"I mean working for us again, Agent Bartowski, as he did before he went off grid. I need not stress the importance of this."

"General, Dr. Busgang said that Orion might be the one who knows how the Intersect can be removed…"

"I assure you, Sarah, if and when we contact Orion, we'll ask him to help you with this."

"Thank you General."

"But until then we need the Intersect. We need you."

"I'm not going anywhere, General." As Sarah said that, Chuck laid a supporting hand on her shoulder and gave her an affectionate squeeze. Casey noticed it.

"Ms. Walker, Agent Bartowski, I'd like a few minutes with Major Forrest please." Chuck and Sarah exited the room, leaving Alex alone to confer with the General.

"Major, I think Agent Bartowski and Ms. Walker are rather too close."

"Yes, sir, they are close."

"Do you think Agent Bartowski is compromised? Should we do a 49-B?"

"Sir, not very long ago I would have certainly considered Agent Bartowski compromised due to a strong emotional connection between him and the a- Ms. Walker. But not now. I've come to realize that said connection is beneficial to the team and not a liability. They… _We_ all care about each other. We are in this together sir. Unconventional though we may be, it's still a most effective arrangement. So no, I don't believe any changes would help with the team dynamics."

"Thank you Major, that's what I thought as well. Carry on."

"Yes sir."

Alex joined Chuck and Sarah at the Castle's lounge.

"What did the General want?" Sarah asked offhandedly.

"Nothing. Just an opinion on how we should proceed in the future."

"And what did you tell him?"

"That we're just fine and that he should not rock the boat."

"Was he talking about reassigning me?"

"Not exactly in these terms Bartowski. But he wanted to eliminate the option."

"And you helped him make his choice. Thank you Forrest."

"No need to thank me. Our mission successes are enough proof. Speaking of missions, shouldn't we start with our gear?"

"Yeah, right. I've already packed some things. We can get the rest from the shop above. Your place tonight at eight to suit up?"

"Sounds good. Eight it is."

Chuck packed sleeping bags, some camping gear and food. Alex took care of the weapons and Sarah gathered the communications equipment and a couple of ruggedized military issue laptops. All were loaded in the trunk of Forrest's Barracuda. Then the women returned to the Buy More and applied for a two days' leave with an extension option for another two before finishing their shift.

A few hours later they were at the designated private airfield to take their helicopter. The NSA contact there directed them to one of the hangars. Sarah was very impressed with the sleek, gleaming black rotorcraft.

"Wow… A Eurocopter Panther 800. I didn't know it was ever in production," she said, lovingly running her fingers over the nose.

"This is special order, with a few NSA custom mods," Alex said, pointing to a number of blisters and antennae protruding from the fuselage. "Are you sure you can fly her, Bartowski?"

"As long as you handle the specialized equipment, yes."

"Hey, I can be your copilot! I have, after all, flown an actual chopper."

"And damn near crashed it into a harbor crane, Walker."

"Won't hurt to have an extra pair of eyes in the cockpit."

"OK, but she's your responsibility in there Bartowski. And I'll have you know I prefer to land in one piece."

"You worry too much. Anyone told you that?"

"With you two around worrying comes naturally. C'mon, let's get the show on the road."

Chuck and Sarah got in the cockpit, while Alex made herself comfortable in the cabin. The NSA ground crew towed the helicopter outside the hangar, Chuck cranked up the engines and soon they were airborne. While flying over the countryside, Alex pushed some buttons in the center console and an IST Dynamics Gama turret mounting a .50cal M3M machinegun deployed under the nose. It was slaved to the optronics operated from her station. Sarah was even more impressed, especially when Alex told her that there was also the option of a pantograph sight for the gun turret in the copilot's station, or helmet sights for the pilot and copilot.

"Alex, I've been meaning to ask you something," Sarah said, breaking the silence.

"What is it Sarah?" answered Alex. _Did she just call me 'Sarah' instead of 'Walker'? _Sarah thought.

"You've been acting a bit strange lately."

"Strange?"

"Yeah, like… Human?"

"Just blending in a little more. Since we're in for the long run. I kinda like it in Burbank, too. But I'm NOT going soft, just so you know."

"Oh. OK, I get it."

With Sarah navigating and Alex scanning the ground below and the warning receiver displays for any threats, Chuck flew the chopper directly to their destination.

Once there, they flew a few circles around, double and triple checking the terrain and verifying there was no one down there, before Chuck donned night vision goggles, turned on the infrared landing lights and smoothly set the helicopter on a convenient flat surface some distance from the bunker. Better to keep the chopper out of sight, but close enough to get to it quickly should the need arise. The first thing they did when they exited was tie down the bird and fit the FOD screens over the intakes and exhausts. A tarp was also stretched over the windshield to keep it clean. They then donned their packs, retrieved their weapons and hiked to the bunker's entrance, Chuck leading the way with a flashlight.

The door was a heavy solid slab of hardened steel, with a keypad on one side. Alex prepared to try and bypass the keypad, but Sarah flashed on the design etched on the panel and punched in the code. The door swung open silently on its well oiled hinges. They had no sooner stepped inside when the lights started coming on. A screen on the corridor wall flashed with a single word. 'Welcome'. Then the phrase 'Please proceed to the main room' appeared on the screen, along with an arrow pointing them in the right direction. Sarah also took a floor plan of the building from a holder on the wall next to the screen. A quick inspection revealed the place to be a typical bunker. It had a couple of bunkrooms, storerooms, machine room, armory, mess hall and kitchen, an office and a large room filled with ancient electronics on one side. The other side was different. A large worktable was set up there, and it appeared that a number of computers had been sitting on it until recently. Now, just a single laptop computer was resting on its surface. Chuck and Alex checked everything for booby traps. Finding none, they gave Sarah the OK to open the laptop. Its exterior design was very futuristic, with a titanium casing and various colored lights on it. Sarah turned it on. As soon as the screen flickered to life, the computer asked her to stay still for a moment. It then performed a retinal scan on her. Her identity verified, a video started playing. It showed a masked man, who spoke with an electronically distorted voice.

"Hello Sarah. I think you have confirmed I'm Orion by now. First of all, I'd like to say you did a great job with my creation, the Intersect, even though it was not intended for you to get it in your head. I have my reasons for not wanting to reveal my identity and come back into the government's fold. But I really want to help you. I need you to trust me Sarah and I need your friends to trust me too. Take this computer and keep it safe at all costs. I will be able to contact you directly through it. Agents Forrest and Bartowski, do not, repeat, do not try to trace the signal to this computer. You'll just be wasting your time. Before I forget: You can ask me to get you air support with this computer. And there is an extra hard drive especially for you. You can install any game in it. I know you like computer games, and this baby can blow the Roark Instruments R7 away. You'll love it. For now, you can enjoy a short vacation in here. Talk to you later. Have a good time." The screen went blank.

"The R7 has not yet been released to the stores…" It was all Sarah could say at the moment. The man known as Orion appeared to be familiar with her habits and hobbies. Hell, he even knew the names of her friends.

Meanwhile, in another State, a man sat in a darkened room and looked intently at a computer screen. A smile slowly formed on his face as he saw Sarah, Chuck and Alex resume exploring the bunker and talking animatedly after his recorded message finished playing on the laptop. He turned the computer off and sipped from a glass of whisky. They'd be fine there for a while. Suddenly, one of the computers in the room started beeping. It was the perimeter alarm. The man shrugged. Fulcrum just did not know when to give up. He quickly left through a hidden exit. Once safely outside, he paused and typed a command in a computer strapped to his forearm. Seconds later, a spectacular explosion tore through the penthouse floor of the building where his temporary base of operations used to be. He then turned and disappeared into the night.

Back in the bunker, Sarah, Chuck and Alex were sitting in the mess hall after finishing their exploration of the premises. Other than the mysterious ultra high-tech laptop, they'd found nothing that could give them a clue as to the identity and whereabouts of Orion. The place had been swept clean. However, Sarah did find the terminal of the computer that controlled the security and power systems of the installation. Electricity came from photovoltaic panels and a wind driven generator, plus there was a diesel generator for emergency use. Security was top of the line. Nothing bigger than a cat could get within two hundred yards of the bunker without the system knowing it.

The place also had a premium digital cable TV setup, so they decided to relax and enjoy the evening. They were too tired to hike back to the helicopter and fly out anyway. Sarah commented that Orion had definitely been expecting them and made sure they'd be comfortable. Alex volunteered to cook and did a creditable job with the limited variety of supplies they'd brought with them. Dessert was courtesy of Orion. They'd found a few cartons of ice cream in the freezer, including Sarah's favorite, Rocky Road. The Twinkies and energy bars stored in a cupboard would be saved for later. After the dishes had been cleared away, they all settled down to watch TV. The best Sarah could find after some channel surfing at the time was an episode of Firefly. Chuck commented that Adam Baldwin, the actor who played Jayne Cobb, bore an uncanny resemblance to General Casey. Alex and Sarah agreed. Their snickering meant that they, or at least Sarah, who'd just realized why Casey had always looked so familiar, would tease the General about it when the opportunity arose. She would also enjoy a long overdue Firefly/Serenity marathon with Morgan when she got back home.

When they turned off the TV, they went to one of the bunkrooms to make themselves comfortable. Alex would take the first watch, and Chuck would relieve her after a few hours. Sarah wormed into her sleeping bag, but did not immediately try to go to sleep. She fiddled with the laptop Orion left her for a while. The nerd in her simply could not have enough of the deceptively small gadget. Finally, she put it down on the nightstand and closed her eyes. She was asleep in a few minutes, dreaming of a vacation with Chuck - a real vacation, not a cover one.

Somewhere else, a man limped into a dimly lit room. He faced a panel of five people whose faces were hidden in the shadows.

"Good to see you survived the debacle at Denver, Vincent," one of them said.

"We were too late. Orion was already gone," said the man known as Vincent.

"Never mind. With hindsight it appears it was a trap. Our sources inside the CIA caught wind of a combined operation in another location presumed to be one of Orion's bases. It's high up in the California mountains, almost inaccessible from the ground."

"Would you like me to lead an assault from the air?"

"Vincent, you need to recover from your injuries. You are very valuable to Fulcrum and we need you at one hundred percent."

"I'm fine."

"Our sources believe a CIA team based in Burbank is involved. There is a Buy More store there and we suspect it may be a CIA substation."

"I could investigate."

"No, we have already lost too many agents there." The man paused as an aide gave him some papers. "But we can move against said CIA team while they are off their base. Weather rules out an air assault, but if we hurry we can just put together a force for a ground approach."

"Sir, I'd like to lead this team."

"Very well, Vincent. You'll be notified when everything is in place. Dismissed."

Chuck had relieved Alex during the night and stood guard until daybreak. The women woke up and made breakfast. Then the team checked in with Casey, who informed them they would have to stay in the bunker at least for another day, as the weather precluded flying out.

"We could be stuck in a worse place, I guess," commented Sarah after the conference was over. Chuck and Alex agreed. The day passes without excitement, with Sarah taking the time to further explore the Orion laptop. It was a cool device, with a dual OS; a custom one and Windows. The secure web connection was welcome, but Sarah followed Chuck's advice and avoided using it for the moment.

The three ended up playing cards after lunch, as they could not come up with anything else to do.

The firs indication of trouble came when the security system started beeping. Sarah was on it immediately.

"Uh, guys, we've got company. Fifteen heavily armed men coming up the western slope."

"Casey would have told us if he was sending backup," said Forrest.

"They're Fulcrum," Sarah said after flashing on Vincent, whom she saw on the outer security cam monitor.

"Shit. Weather's still crappy. Can't fly out yet. At least the chopper is secure," Chuck said, checking the feed from the camera he'd placed near the helicopter on his laptop."

"Lock 'n' load, Bartowski. We're gonna have some gunplay."

Alex had no sooner said that, when the computer beeped again and the bunker went into lockdown. Then Sarah's phone rang. They all looked at it astonished; there was no cell phone signal up there. Sarah hesitantly answered it.

"He- Hello?"

"Sarah, listen to me," came Orion's electronically masked voice, "there is a safe room not indicated in the building plans you have. Pack your stuff and go to it immediately. The weather should clear up in a couple of hours at the latest. The room has emergency exits, one of which leads in the direction of your helicopter. If you have to leave, take exit number two." Then the call was terminated. Sarah ran to collect her laptop as the others frantically packed. Orion had also sent directions to the safe room to her cell phone. Ten minutes later, they were safely hidden. They clustered around the monitor of a computer terminal located in the room and watched the security feeds. Orion's perimeter cameras were well hidden, so they were able to easily track the Fulcrum team's progress towards the bunker.

The Fulcrum agents soon arrived at the bunker. They spent half an hour checking it from the outside. Finding no traps, they got to work trying to open the door. Bypassing the electronic lock proved impossible. They wasted over an hour without being able to gain access. Finally, they tried to blow it open with explosives. The first try failed. The second try was more successful, but it still took several minutes for three grunting men to manage to pry the damaged door open.

At that point Chuck decided that the weather had sufficiently improved for them to fly out and return to Burbank. He'd ask the General to call an airstrike on the bunker once they were airborne. Sarah's laptop beeped; she opened it and a message from Orion appeared on the screen: 'Get out now.' In addition, the feed from a camera aboard a UCAV popped up in a new window.

"Orion's sending a drone to bomb this place," she said.

"Time to get the hell out of Dodge."

"Right-ho. Lead the way Bartowski."

"Saddle up and let's go!"

They slung their packs on their backs and moved to exit number two as instructed. It led to a very long corridor. They hurried along and a few minutes later they came upon another door. It also required a code to open it. Fortunately, it was among the information Orion had sent them. Alex punched it in and the door swung open. They all stepped out among the trees surrounding the clearing where they'd landed. Chuck covered the women as they went about removing the covers and tie downs from the helicopter. Sarah got in the cockpit and started the engines from the copilot's seat. Once they reached operating RPMs, she signaled Chuck, who immediately got in the chopper, closed his door and yanked on the collective pitch lever. The sleek black helicopter left the ground; the landing gear retracted. Chuck pointed the nose away from the bunker and flew the nap of the earth to avoid getting in the low clouds. Sarah and Alex were watching the feed from the UCAV on the laptop. The bunker vanished in a shattering explosion that lit up the sky behind them. Appropriately, Orion had used a bunker buster bomb.

The flight back to the private airfield outside of LA was quiet and smooth. Chuck even gave Sarah the controls for a few minutes, because he wanted to talk to Forrest. He took them back in time for landing. Once the helo was in the hands of the NSA ground crew, the three got in Alex's Barracuda for the drive back to Burbank. Alex seemed a bit disappointed there had been no chance for gunplay, but the mission had been generally successful. They now had a means of communication with the mysterious and elusive Orion.

Once back in Echo Park, they all went to Forrest's apartment to leave their gear. She would take it back to Castle in the morning. They also changed from the outdoor outfits they were wearing to more casual clothes. They were about to call the General for a debriefing when Orion called them once again.

"Sarah, agents," he said, "glad to see you made it back safe. There must be a leak in the CIA for Fulcrum to find you so fast. Ask your boss to look into the matter. For security reasons this will be our last communication for a while. Until I do some changes to the protocols and wait for things to quiet down. Don't worry; I'll still be keeping an eye on you three occasionally. In the meantime, trust each other and take care. Sarah, before I go, I'd like to tell you that I'll be working on a means to get my creation out of your head. For the moment, enjoy your new toy. See you later, people." The screen went blank again.

The debriefing videoconference with the General also proceeded smoothly. Casey was of course disappointed that Orion had decided to break contact, but he was pleased that no one ended up in Fulcrum's clutches. The loss of another Fulcrum team was just an added bonus and Vincent Smith's death especially would be a serious blow to the rogue cabal's operations.

"General Casey sounded a bit off tonight, didn't he?" Sarah asked.

"Can you blame him? He was hoping to have Orion back in the fold sooner rather than later."

"Still, I got something to play with," Sarah said hefting her new laptop. "Roark Instruments, eat your heart out! Ha-ha!"

"You're acting like a little girl in a candy store, Walker. Sometimes I prefer it when you become Agent Carmichael."

"So, Alex, are you saying you find Sarah Walker me annoying, but you like to work with Carmichael me?"

"What can I say? It's like you're Dr. Jekyll and Ms. Hyde when you switch personalities." While they were talking they were also stowing their gear. They did not yet check the courtyard surveillance. Big mistake.

Outside, two people were looking at each other and back inside the apartment through an open window wide eyed in shock. They were returning to the apartment complex when they heard familiar voices coming from Alex's place, so they stopped and listened. What they heard shook them to the core. And what they saw was even more unsettling. They retreated to the relative safety of the fountain to talk.

"Dude, did you see and hear what I saw and heard?"

"I did, bro. Who would believe that?"

"And that gun rack above the fireplace… I recognized almost all the pieces. I've seen and 'handled' them in Call of Duty."

"Yeah, it's kinda creepy, man. But awesome at the same time."

"Wait, once you called me 'General Casey'. Why?"

"Sarah said it was a video game. She was Agent Carmichael and you were General Casey. I'd seen that name on her room's TV screen."

"Then this General they mentioned can contact her in her room too."

"It's a reasonable explanation."

"What do we do now?"

"We confront them, bro. I want the truth about what she's been up to and how it all began."

"I'm with you all the way pal."

The two sat on the fountain and waited for the others to leave Alex's apartment. The door opened and Sarah came out, laughing at some joke and followed by Chuck.

"When were you going to tell us you're a spy, sis?" Sarah froze. Chuck was shocked. Alex heard something and came running out, a hand on her holstered gun. She groaned when she realized what was going on.

"Yeah, Sarah, I mean we're your family," said Morgan.

"Uh…"

"Caught red handed, don't you agree Devon?"

"With both hands in the cookie jar, bro."

"You two, inside, now," Alex said to Devon and Morgan. "Bartowski, Walker, you too."

Alex briefly considered the option of putting Devon and Morgan in witness protection. Sarah, supported by Chuck, was dead set against it. She now felt relieved she would no longer have to lie to two of the most important people in her life. Plus, Devon was a doctor; they might need him. Also Morgan could help cover for them in the Buy More. And they would never betray the secret to anyone. Alex saw the logic in Sarah's argument and agreed. Quickly, Sarah revealed to her brother and her best friend the facts of the secret life she had for nearly two years now. They were surprised to learn that her relationship with Chuck was a cover, but they knew it was so only in the beginning. They did not say it, but they were positive that Sarah and Chuck were head over heels in love with each other. Finally, Devon rose from his seat.

"What do you want me to do Sarah?"

"Devon, I want you to be cool about this, I need you to cover for me with Ellie. You know how she gets. In short, I need you to be Awesome. Can you do that for me? Can you _be_ Awesome?"

"Uh, sure sis, yeah, I mean…"

"Devon. Devon! Don't freak out, big brother."

"Here Captain, have a drink," said Chuck giving Devon a glass full of whisky. Devon downed it in one gulp.

"OK," he said, the liquor helping him muster his courage. "OK. I'll do it. Leave Ellie to me. And, sis?"

"Yes?"

"All that time I thought you were just working a dead-end job at a Buy More. But this… It's awesome!"

"Thanks Devon. The Buy More is real, and I need the money I earn there. But I also enjoy my other job – most of the time."

Devon's phone rang. He answered it. When he put it back in his pocket, he turned to the others.

"Show time, folks. Ellie's bringing Mexican food for dinner and she wants us over to our place in ten minutes. You too Alex."

"We'll be there. It's gonna be okay Captain. You got our backs, we got yours."

"Thanks Chuck."

When Ellie returned home, she found them all in the living room waiting for her and having pre-dinner cocktails. She smiled. She really liked having this extended family. The others were all sharing the same thought: _If only Ellie knew…_


	10. Chapter 10 Sarah vs The Unexpected Visit

**A/N:** Till I short out the ideas for the next chapters' plot sequence I have in my head, I'll just keep you entertained (hopefully) with some comedy.

Look the usual disclaimers up in the previous chapters.

Enjoy Chapter 10!

* * *

**Sarah vs the Unexpected Visit.**

"I hate Jill Roberts."

Sarah was flat on her back on the floor of her room, still wearing the sunglasses Jill had given her. Only these were Intersect update glasses. True, the chip containing the update files had self destructed and the glasses were really cool, so she'd keep them, but Jill should have warned her about the secret contents. In Jill's defense, she'd probably forgotten to.

It was perfectly understandable, considering the events of the past couple of days. Not only had Jill come back, Sarah had by now realized it was to give her the update, but she'd bumped into Carina who also happened to be in town. Carina was astounded to see Jill alive and well, but the two had joined forces after getting over the initial shock. The DEA agent had come back determined to have fun with her friend and not let anything get in the way this time. Jill had needed a break from all the deep undercover work. Sarah was only too happy to join her two friends for a weekend of unbridled fun, just like their college years. Alex was in too, to keep an eye on Sarah, or so she thought. As Carina had laconically but eloquently put it, they were going to have fun, have a blast and get plastered. They did all that and more.

The fun activities began with a champagne brunch, followed by several hours at a spa, then shopping (the employees of stores on Rodeo Drive were still reeling from the experience) and finally a wild night checking out nightclubs. They had roped Morgan into chauffeuring them around for the last part. Eventually (after narrowly avoiding getting arrested for numerous offences, including, but not limited to, acts of public disorder and assault and battery – the latter on a couple of guys who had been hitting on them and couldn't seem to understand 'no' meant 'get lost, assholes') they ended up in Carina's hotel suite. Sunday was spent there, all four playing silly games, watching movies, gorging themselves on room service delicacies and consuming more alcohol.

When Morgan drove Sarah and Alex home, they were beyond wasted. It was then that Sarah had the unfortunate idea to try on her new glasses. On Monday both women woke up with abysmally bad hangovers. And they still had to go clock in at the Buy More.

"Hi Ellie," Sarah said tiredly as her brother's fiancée was returning home after an all night shift at the hospital. Alex waved hello.

"Oh, boy," Ellie said, "what happened to you two? You both look like the morning after."

"Ellie, please, don't shout, okay?" Alex's head felt like it was about to explode.

"You can't go to work like this. Come in, I'll fix you up a bit, make you more presentable."

Ellie got her makeup kits out and managed to mostly hide the dark circles under the two women's eyes and the pallor of their faces under copious amounts of concealer. She couldn't do anything about their bloodshot eyes, but gave them enough aspirin to make their headaches at least bearable. Fortunately, Morgan was there to drive them to work in the Herder. They slept through the way there and he woke them up after he parked the small car in front of the Buy More.

"Alex, where is Chuck?"

"Huh?"

"He hasn't opened the store yet."

"I don't know."

"Think it's suspicious?"

"I hope not. I'm in no mood for trouble right now."

"Yeah, me neither. Can you try calling him?"

"OK, hang on a minute… Oh, he sent me a text."

"What is it?"

"He says he's taking a personal day."

"We get personal days?"

"Bartowski and I do. You don't."

"Why's that?"

"Because you are an asset, at least on paper."

"Bureaucratic bullshit."

"Ain't it the truth…"

Sarah and Alex tried to forget their hangovers by immersing themselves in work. Sarah however could not stop thinking about what could cause Chuck to take a day off for personal reasons. She decided to ask him, but be discreet about it.

"Walker!" She looked up to see what Big Mike wanted.

"Yes?"

"Computer emergency. Grab your kit and go." He gave her a slip of paper with the address she had to go to on it. She recognized the client. It was a company that did a lot of business with the Burbank Buy More.

"Morgan, I gotta go."

"Work?"

"Yeah."

"What work? Buy More, or spy stuff?" he asked furtively looking around.

"Nerd Herd computer emergency. Take care of Alex while I'm out, OK? Make sure she doesn't kill Emmett."

"Sure. I won't let you down. Drive safe."

The technical aspects of the service call were relatively easy, but it still took Sarah a few hours to get the mainframe back online and functioning to its full capacity. Fortunately the company had seen fit to have someone on standby to help her. As it turned out the only help she needed was regular refills for her coffee mug. The company manager told her he felt he could not thank her enough for her work, but he'd definitely put a good word for her with the Buy More. She smiled and went to the Herder for the drive back to the store. As she was about to unlock the door she froze. Chuck was at a bistro across the street and he was not alone. In fact, he was with a woman. Sarah felt a green eyed monster take over. Granted, their relationship was a cover, but she still could not help feeling jealous. And this woman… She was beautiful, yes, but she was also in her mid to late forties. Make that more like early fifties, but she definitely looked younger than that. Was Chuck some kind of CIA gigolo? Was all the talk about taking a personal day a lie to spare Sarah's feelings?

Chuck had just poured some wine for the older woman, when he felt his phone vibrate in his pocket. He took it out and looked at the screen. It was the tracking display for Sarah's watch. And she was less than a block away. He looked around and spotted her heading straight for him. Excusing himself, he went over to his cover girlfriend.

"Sarah, what are you doing here?" he asked her.

"I had a computer emergency to deal with, Chuck. The question is, what are _you_ doing here? Who is this woman? Are you on a mission and you didn't tell me? You could have at least trusted me!"

"Sarah, didn't Alex tell you it was personal?"

"She did. So, what's the deal?"

"It's personal. And it's complicated."

"Yeah, right."

"Chuck? Won't you introduce me to your friend?" the woman who was with Chuck asked, coming up behind them. He looked a bit lost, but recovered quickly.

"Yes, sorry. Well, this is my girlfriend Sarah Walker. Sarah, meet Mary Bartowski. My mom."

"Pleased to meet you ma'am," said Sarah looking wide eyed at Chuck and his mother.

"Please, Sarah dear, call me Mary. I'm not that old."

"Yes, yes, of course, Mary."

"Sorry I'm late," said a new voice, "traffic was horrible. Charles, who's the lovely young lady here?" Before Chuck had the chance to answer, the man continued. "I'm Stephen, Chuck's dad." He extended his hand.

"Sarah Walker," she replied taking the proffered hand. "I'm Chuck's girlfriend."

"Girlfriend, huh? Aces, Charles, you're Aces. You have good taste. Just like me in my younger days."

"Stephen!" exclaimed his wife. He gave her an 'I snagged you and that's proof enough of my good taste' look, but said nothing.

"Thank you dad. Can we sit down now?" Chucked understandably looked a bit nervous.

"Yes, of course," Stephen said. "Sarah, care to join us?"

"I'm sorry, Mr. Bartowski… Stephen," she corrected when she saw the look he gave her, "but I have to go back to work. I was here on a service call and-"

"No need to apologize, sugar. Charles, why are you just standing like this? Kiss your girl already!"

Chuck and Sarah both looked uneasy, but kissed anyway. It was a quick but passionate kiss; they had to sell it, but they lingered a bit more than required by their cover. Blushing, Sarah backed off a bit, smiled at Chuck's parents and went to the Herder.

Back at the Buy More, Sarah turned in her paperwork for Skip to enter the repair log into the computer and corralled Morgan and Alex in the home theater room.

"Guys, we have a problem," she said without preamble.

"Fulcrum again?" Alex asked.

"I wish it would be that simple. No, it's far worse. More than you can imagine."

"C'mon, Sarah, spill it," said Morgan. She took a deep breath.

"Chuck's parents are in town," she said bluntly.

"Oh boy. I knew it was personal, but this is way over our heads."

"And you never knew that…"

"Right. You see, Grimes, Bartowski took a personal day. He didn't tell me why, but I guess he wanted to keep us out of this."

"Too late. We ran into each other downtown and he introduced me to his folks."

"As his girlfriend?"

"Yes."

"This probably means they have no knowledge of his status as a CIA agent. Otherwise he might have introduced you as a mere acquaintance."

"We might have a problem just the same."

"What do you mean, Morgan?"

"What if they insist on getting to know their boy's girl better?"

"Shit! We have to keep the cover intact."

"We also need to get Awesome in on this."

"Excellent idea Grimes, call him, now. Tell him to keep Ellie in the dark for as long as he can manage. If this gets out of hand…"

"What?"

"I'll have to start looking for a bridesmaid's dress, Walker."

"You are kidding, right? Please tell me you are kidding!"

"What, I thought you wouldn't mind marrying loverboy."

"Under normal circumstances I wouldn't, but a cover marriage? No, thank you."

"Sarah's got a point; it wouldn't be right."

"Oh, shut up Grimes! And go call Devon, will you? Now!"

"OK, OK. Jeez, Alex, take it easy."

"I'll take it easy when we get this mess sorted out, moron," said Alex angrily. The look on her face was enough to send Morgan scampering off to call Devon and fill him in on the morning's events. Alex called Casey and gave him a quick rundown on the morning's events. The General's orders were what she expected: let Bartowski enjoy his time with his parents, as long as it does not compromise the assignment.

"So tell me Chuck. How long have you and Sarah been going out?"

"Dad, you promised not to pry," replied Chuck from the bathroom.

"Aw, please son, throw your old man a bone."

"A bone? Dare I remind you this is how it begins every time? You're never happy with a bone, Dad."

"Are you afraid I'm gonna try and find out about everything you've got going on with that girl?" Chuck went back to his room where his father was sitting.

"Nah, you're just gonna grill me for some background information on our relationship, if we keep each other happy in the sack and the like. I know you Dad."

"Are you?"

"Are we what?"

"Doing the dirty, bumping pelvises, getting horizontal."

"Gentlemen don't kiss and tell."

"Now you are just being vague."

"I learned from the best."

"Still, it was worth a try."

"You'll never give up, will you?"

"Not with what's on the line right now."

"Mom put you up to this? Dad, I want the truth, so spill it."

"Okay, fine. I confess! She wants to know if you are actually serious this time; if you're going to settle down and start your own family."

"Never happen. She won't hear anything from me and she'll certainly get nothing out of you, because I ain't gonna tell you squat!"

"Great! That's fuckin' great, son! Do you know what she said she'll do if I don't come up with some good information for her? She threatened to cut me off!" Stephen thought acting hurt might help get some information out of his stubborn son.

"What do you mean 'cut you off'?" Chuck was already dreading the answer.

"And it would be a crying shame, because our hotel room has a very comfortable super sized bed. And a very big bathtub. Not to mention the new lingerie I know Mary bought-"

"DAD! Dad, please stop. TMI, you know, TMI! I can't hear this!"

"Now that's new! My son, _my _son, is a friggin' _prude_?" Stephen enjoyed teasing Chuck like this.

"It's_ my mother_ you're talking about!"

"Who just so happens to be my wife, too. That's what married couples do. And I won't be denied the happiness I'm entitled to because of you, Charles Irving Bartowski."

"Whoever said marriage kills romance," Chuck lamented. Stephen just laughed.

At the Buy More Sarah was by the Nerd Herd desk helping a green shirt put up a display advertising that the IT service section now performed full auto audio system installs. As she happened to glance at the entrance, all color drained from her face as she saw a tall brunette enter the store and look around. She ducked behind the desk, grabbed her phone and called Alex. The NSA agent was out back by the loading dock with Morgan, briefing Captain Awesome on the latest developments.

"What is it this time Walker?"

"Code Red! Code Red! The reddest, bloodiest shade of red! Redder than red!"

"Did you flash? Hostiles in the Buy More?"

"Wrong on the first, partially correct on the second. We're in really deep shit! Chuck's mom is here!" She hesitantly raised her head to look for her new nemesis.

"Dammit! I'd take fifty trigger-happy Fulcrum agents any day over this mess!"

"My sentiments exactly. Oh, crap! She saw me and she's coming my way! Help!"

"You're on your own for now Walker. If things get too hairy, page me and I'll send your brother in to back you up."

"Much obliged, Alex, gracias," she said sarcastically.

"De nada."

Sarah forced herself to hide her apprehension behind a pleasant smile.

"Hello Mrs. Bar- Mary. What can I do for you?"

"I was wondering if you had a minute to talk, dear. I mean, you are my boy's girl and I'd like to get to know you."

"I'd love that, really, but right now I'm the only Herder on duty here, so…"

"It's all right honey, I understand. I know you love my son and for now it's enough for me. But we will talk later."

"We will Mary, don't worry."

"In the meantime, can you please take a look at my phone? It's been acting up on me lately." Mary fished a cell phone from her purse and pushed it across the counter to Sarah.

"It's my job," replied Sarah, scooping up the phone and proceeding to take it apart. "It's funny, you know."

"What?"

"This is how Chuck and I first met," she said, connecting Mary's phone to a testing device. "He had a broken phone and I fixed it for him."

"Quite a coincidence, dear."

"It is, isn't it? Anyway, he'd just arrived here in Burbank, and I was probably the first person he actually talked to. I started liking him almost from the moment I saw him, so when he asked me out to show him around town I said yes. The rest, as they say, is history." Sarah continued trying to find out what was wrong with Mary's cell phone, hoping Alex was listening in on the conversation and would tell Chuck about it so they'd have their stories straight.

"You make it sound like something out of the movies."

"That would be one way to describe the beginning of our relationship."

"You know, my boy has always been secretive about his girlfriends."

"He's private. I don't mind."

"I never got to meet the one he had before you. Her name was Julia or Jillian or something."

"Jill, her name is Jill. He mentioned her once. They had a rough breakup, but both got over it. They are good friends now and keep in touch from time to time." Naturally, Sarah couldn't say that Chuck's ex Jill was actually her old friend Jill, who just happened to be a deep cover CIA agent.

"That sounds very much like my boy."

"He's a great guy and has his own unique way with people. Here, all fixed."

"That was fast. Thank you Sarah."

"And it's on the house."

"That's very kind of you."

"Really, it was nothing."

"One more thing; Stephen and I would like to take you and Chuck out to dinner tonight. Unless you have other plans, of course." Mary's tone indicated that she'd be very disappointed if Sarah indeed had other plans. Sarah's mind raced while going over possible contingency plans. Awesome and Ellie had planned spending a romantic evening together and she didn't want to ruin it for them. Game night with Morgan? Not good enough an excuse. Date with Chuck? They did have a cover date planned, but now they'd have to modify their plans. She hoped that Chuck would figure a way out for both of them.

"No, I don't have any other plans for tonight that don't include Chuck. I'd be happy to spend the evening with you."

"Excellent, my dear. I'll make the arrangements with my husband and Chuck. He'll call you with the details." Mary hugged Sarah before leaving. Sarah sank back in her seat dejectedly. Alex, Morgan and Devon joined her.

"Good job Walker. The ball's in Bartowski's court now. Let him figure a way to avoid all this mess."

"Alex, it's just dinner with the Bartowskis. What can possibly go wrong?" Devon asked.

"Do you really want me to answer your question?"

"I know what you'll say. They might let something slip and compromise their cover, blah, blah, blah. I think my sister is a good actress. I mean she had me fooled into thinking her thing with Chuck was real. And not only me, but Morgan here as well, not to mention Ellie."

"Your brother is right. No matter what, you have to sell your cover."

"I get the feeling I'm not going to like this," said Sarah apprehensively.

"She means you'll have to ramp up the PDA," said Morgan.

Before Sarah had a chance to answer, Emmett came up to the Nerd Herd desk.

"Walker, are we doing customer service for free now? Or is it some new advertising gig I'm not aware of?"

"It was just a quick fix, Emmett. And the customer just happened to be Chuck's mother."

"Really?"

"Sarah's future mother-in-law, no less" said Alex. Damn, she was going to enjoy needling Bartowski and Walker until this was all over.

"It's too early to consider marriage," said Sarah simply.

"It's bound to happen," said Emmett. I've seen how you and your boy toy act around each other." With that he left and went to harass some green shirts.

"At least he's bought our cover story too," said Sarah.

Stephen Bartowski put his phone down and looked at his son. "Well, Charles, it's settled. Your mother got your girlfriend to agree on a double date."

"Double date?"

"You and Sarah, plus me and Mary."

"Oh, boy!"

"Come on, you know your old man needs some excitement. Now that I'm retired your mom and I are on our second honeymoon."

"So that's why you two are acting almost like newlyweds!"

"Yes, son, and, y' know, looking at you and Sarah is like seeing us thirty years ago."

"Dad, you saw me and Sarah together for a grand total of about two minutes."

"So? You know I can read people. You love the girl and she's crazy about you son."

"Did Mom tell you where we'll be going tonight?" Chuck asked, trying to change the subject.

"She only said she's made reservations. Just wear a nice suit and tell Sarah to put on something nice. I'll just go back to the hotel now. Your mother will be expecting me."

After his father left Chuck ran to his car and raced over to the Buy More. He was still driving when his mom called him with the time and place for their dinner out.

"Sarah, we need to talk," he said.

"Yes, I know. We need to get our stories straight for tonight. But if we can somehow get out of it..."

"Nothing short of a mission can guarantee us getting out of this mess. At least it's just for tonight. Tomorrow my folks are going back home."

"Bartowski, before you and Walker start getting ready for tonight's, ahem, 'mission', do your parents know you're with the CIA?"

"My dad knows. It was a friend of his and Graham who recruited me just after I graduated from Harvard. He thinks I'm some sort of substation chief in here. He didn't ask and I did not volunteer any details. My mom's in the dark. She'd kill me if she knew I'm an agent."

"Does your father know your relationship with Walker is a cover?"

"No. He thinks it's real."

"Good. I'll be on overwatch duty in the van tonight just in case."

"Take Morgan with you. We may need him to run interference should we have to get out in a hurry."

"Are you up to it Grimes?"

"You know I'll do anything for my friends. And that includes you."

"Spare me the sentimental crap, idiot, and focus on the mission. We got a job to do."

"Is there anything you guys want me to do?" Devon asked.

"No, Captain, you just go have a good time with Ellie. We can handle this," replied Chuck.

"I think we've got most of it covered. You two lovebirds just need to talk about what Walker here said to your mother earlier. And take care of your wardrobe for tonight."

"Guys, wait! We forgot something important. What if I flash on something or someone?"

"Fuck! We didn't think of that!"

"Relax, Forrest. We'll just say Sarah's not feeling well and I'll get her out of there, ostensibly to take her home. I'll contact you with the details of her flash, park the car out of sight of the restaurant and meet you in the van. It'll be best if we can get my parents to leave as well."

"Good plan."

Half an hour before they were to meet up with Chuck's parents, he went to Forrest's place to pick her up. Sarah had wanted to leave Awesome alone with Ellie and so had gone to wait for Chuck at Alex's. The NSA agent opened the door for him and he quickly entered, only to stop and gape at Sarah as she stood there in her favorite blue dress, the one he'd given her, hair and makeup perfectly done. For the gazillionth time Chuck thought Sarah was infinitely more beautiful than a lot of Hollywood stars. She on the other hand praised his choice of a navy blue suit, light blue shirt and dark blue tie with golden yellow diagonal stripes. Alex and Morgan, who would be in the van as agreed, were casually dressed and Morgan also carried an ice chest, full of sandwiches, candy bars, Coke and grape soda, as he told Chuck. Forrest's thin smile indicated that she thought she'd enjoy this not-really-a-stakeout stakeout and that she was glad Morgan had gotten them enough supplies.

"Bartowski, before we start, did you bring your gun this time?" Alex asked, despite knowing what the answer was almost sure to be.

"No. If my mother sees it I'm a dead man." He was actually 100% serious.

"Walker? You got yours?" Alex was referring to Sarah's Smith & Wesson.

"No, this purse is not big enough."

"Wait, Sarah's got a gun? This is so cool!" Morgan exclaimed.

"What do you think I shot that Fulcrum guy in the ass with, Morgan? With a BB gun?"

"Beautiful, cool, smart and lethal, or rather non-lethal, gunslinger. That's my best friend!"

"You forgot to add 'geek' to the list, Grimes."

"NERD!" Sarah, Chuck and Morgan corrected her.

"OK, OK, jeez, you guys are something, y' know! Come on, Agent Casanova, or you and Nerd Girl here will be late."

"That's what we want."

"Uh, come again?"

"They mean they want to be late, Alex. It will give his folks the impression they were engaged in, um, extracurricular activities and lost track of time."

"Devious," grinned Alex.

"You and Morgan go right ahead and get into position."

"Roger that. Grimes, time to go." Morgan obediently followed Alex to the van.

"I'm gonna enjoy this," said the NSA agent, getting in the van.

"What?" Morgan asked.

"All this. It's gonna be priceless. You'll understand when we play the surveillance video later, after it's all over."

After confirming their backup was in position, Chuck pulled the Charger into the restaurant parking lot. The normal banter was absent, replaced by trepidation. Sarah also looked a bit uneasy. After all, they both had to face a few hours of relentless grilling by his parents on their relationship, not to mention having to hear how they reminded the Bartowskis of themselves thirty years ago, or listen to the double entendres and sly hints about the sexcapades of Stephen and Mary Bartowski on their second honeymoon.

"Are you ready?" Chuck asked.

"Show time," Sarah replied.

Chuck's eyes shot open, pupils wide. He found himself breathing hard. Taking a look around, he relaxed; he was in Sarah's room, on another cover sleepover. She was snuggled up to him, sleeping off the wild weekend with Carina, Jill and Alex. The Intersect update glasses were on the desk, the 'for a real spy' note from Jill hidden lest Ellie find it. Sarah's right arm was draped over his torso. He ran his fingers lightly over her wrist. She stirred a little but didn't wake up. That dream was really vivid. Then he made his decision: he'd take a couple of days off next week and go visit his parents for their thirtieth anniversary. He then closed his eyes and drifted back to sleep, his mind at ease once again.


	11. Chapter 11 Sarah vs the Complications

**A/N:** First of all, I'd like to thank you yet again for encouraging me to continue the story.

In this chapter, I decided not only to give you something you wanted, but also indulge in a bit of character bashing (you'll soon see who I'm talking about, hehe).

As always, standard disclaimers apply.

* * *

**Sarah vs****. the Complications**

Sarah Walker was on a tropical beach, her naked body wildly entwined with Chuck Bartowski's as they were welcoming the new day by making love just before dawn. They paused, looking in each other's eyes, and were about to profess their undying love yet again, when they were rudely interrupted.

"Walker!" Alex's voice sounded different as she woke Sarah up. Was the NSA agent… amused?

"Hmmmm? It's my day off, let me sleep."

"Sarah Walker, wake up." Alex playfully slapped Sarah's butt.

"Dammit, Alex, you woke me up at the best part."

"You were dreaming of Bartowski." It was a statement, not a question.

"Yes, I was." There was no use denying it.

"And you were screwing like bunnies. Admit it, I won't tell."

"XXX-rated, if you need to know," Sarah said, stretching like a cat. The hem of her camisole hitched up. Forrest gasped. For the moment she had totally forgotten what she wanted to tell Sarah when she'd come through the Morgan Door.

"Shit!"

"What?" Sarah turned and saw Alex pointing at the small of her back, just above the elastic waistband of her panties. "Can't see anything."

Forrest dragged her out of bed towards her full-length mirror and held the hem of the camisole up.

"Take a look Walker," she commanded. Sarah obeyed and did the classic double take. The image in the mirror was reversed, naturally, but she could clearly see a phrase written just above her ass, proclaiming said part of her anatomy (and, by extension, her whole body and soul) as being 'Property of Chuck Bartowski', in calligraphic lettering, no less.

"Crap!"

"Can you say 'just what the fuck did we do on that Saturday night', Walker?"

"Don't freak out, don't freak out, don't freak out," Sarah repeated the mantra to herself.

"Sarah, snap out of it! We need answers, dammit, now!"

"You mean you don't remember either?"

"No, I don't."

"We're screwed!"

"No, _you_ are screwed."

"Really? Are you sure _you_ don't have 'U.S. Government Property' tattooed somewhere on your body? Serial number included?"

"Fuck! You think so?"

"I don't know! We were really wasted."

"You mean we were one tequila shot short of alcohol poisoning."

"That's exactly what I mean. We need to talk to someone who remembers what happened."

"We can call your friends, Miller and Roberts."

"Uh-uh, no can do. They are back undercover now. We can't risk blowing their covers! I don't think they could help, anyway."

"Right… but we need answers! I mean, this has been on you for over a week now! And we only saw it today!"

"MORGAN!" they exclaimed together.

"Great! The bearded troll's gonna tell us about all the stupid things we did that night?"

"Do you see another option?"

"No…"

"Then let's call him!"

"Later. Right now, get dressed and come to my place. We have a briefing with the General in twenty minutes."

"I'll be right over. Just make sure you have coffee ready. Otherwise, I'm liable to be rather cranky."

"Coffee's waiting. C'mon."

Sarah quickly slipped on her sweatpants and followed Alex out the Morgan door and into the apartment across the courtyard. They helped themselves to steaming mugs of coffee and sat down to wait for Casey to contact them. Chuck joined them a few minutes before the scheduled conference.

"Good morning team," Said Casey after the communications screen came to life. "Congratulations for your last mission. And, Agent Bartowski, I trust you enjoyed your leave."

"Yes, sir, I did."

"And now, for the bad news; I'm afraid your team, specifically Agent Bartowski, will undergo a 49-B evaluation."

"General, what is a 49-B?"

"Care to answer Ms. Walker's question for me, Agent Bartowski?"

"An agent will come here to evaluate my performance as the asset's handler and determine whether reassignment is required. During the evaluation said agent will assume the role of the asset's handler as he or she sees fit."

"Sir, I thought you told me you didn't want to do a 49-B," Alex interjected.

"Oh, I'm still against it, Major Forrest."

"Sir, what's going on?"

"It's complicated; although the NSA has parentage and has assumed full operational control of the Intersect Project, and Agent Bartowski is temporarily seconded to my Agency, we still share intel with the CIA and he's still a CIA Agent. The acting director, who took over after Langston Graham's death, reviewed your mission reports and concluded that he may be compromised with the asset… Ms. Walker. So he decided to send one of his people to evaluate Bartowski up close. I tried to dissuade him, saying Bartowski works for me now, but the asshole found a way around it, based on the bureaucratic details of his attachment to the NSA."

"Damn! I knew he was a stickler for regulations, but this can really, really screw things up," remarked Chuck.

"Do we know who he's sending, sir?" Alex asked.

"No, Major, why ask?"

"He could have an accident," Alex said flippantly.

"Major, as much as we don't like dealing with the CIA, present company exempted, we can't go around killing their agents."

"Who said anything about killing him, sir? I was thinking of something more along the lines of busted kneecaps. Nobody screws with my team and gets away with it. Not even the acting director of the CIA and his stooge. And what if the verdict is that Bartowski has to be reassigned?"

"I'll try to talk some sense into Deputy Director Hicks. Or knock some sense into his thick skull if I have to."

"There is another way, General," said Sarah.

"I'm listening, Ms. Walker."

"If the CIA decides to reassign Chuck, he can just hand in his two week notice."

"But then they'll order me to go as far away from here as possible, Sarah."

"Chuck, I'm not finished here. The farthest you can go is DC. After you are done with the CIA, General Casey will hire you as an agent of the NSA. And assign you back here with Alex and me."

"Let's keep this as a last resort, Ms. Walker," said Casey. "As much as I'd like having Agent Bartowski on my Agency's payroll, he may still be uncomfortable with having to leave the CIA. Anyway, all three of you are authorized to use every means possible, save for those that may result in injury or death for the CIA evaluator, to steer the result of the 49-B in your favor. That will be all."

"General, wait!"

"Yes, Ms. Walker?"

"Is the evaluator to know about me? What I do and how?"

"No, not at first. He will have Top Secret clearance, but I expressly told Hicks to leave certain very classified information out of his man's briefing."

"Which means I will just pose as a lowly analyst if we have to go on missions while he's here."

"Precisely. Have a nice day ladies, Agent Bartowski." The General signed off.

"Aw, great! Won't we ever catch a break?" Chuck groaned.

"Chuck, never mind that now. We'll deal with it when the time comes. Tell me, how was your leave?"

"It was OK. I had a good time."

"Your parents?"

"Still celebrating thirty years of marriage and Dad's retirement. Occasionally in ways that make me cringe just thinking about them."

"Their love is like a perfectly aged whiskey, right Bartowski?"

"Ah, very… poetic, Forrest."

"At least you had a good time, as you just admitted."

"For the most part. But I could not avoid the Mom Inquisition."

"The what?"

"You know, the usual questions: 'When are you going to find a nice girl, settle down, have a family'…"

"Ugh, I have to suffer through the same every time I call my mother."

"You actually have a mother, Alex?" I thought you were manufactured by the U.S. government."

"Very funny, Walker."

"The worst part was when she found a bunch of photos from Ellie's last party. I'd had them printed and forgot them in my knapsack. And when she saw them… Let's just say that Tomás de Torquemada is a rank amateur compared to a certain Mrs. Bartowski. And most of the interrogation was focused on my relationship with Sarah."

"Don't blame her. You were all over each other at that party. But you really sold the cover."

"Yeah, Awesome gave us an Academy Award afterwards."

"He did?"

"It was made of chocolate. It didn't survive the night."

"Melted?"

"Eaten."

"OK, ladies, enough with the fun. Forrest, you stay with Sarah. I'll go open the store. Have a nice day."

As soon as they were alone, they tripped over each other in their mad rush to get a phone and call Morgan. They both fell tangled together on the couch, Sarah managing to grab her phone from the coffee table. She speed dialed her best friend and waited for him to answer.

"Hello."

"Morgan? Sarah here. Where are you?"

"I'm at the Buy More."

"Can you get away for about an hour?"

"Not with Emmett on the prowl. Can you think of something?"

"Who's got Mrs. Fisher's delivery?"

"Um, Fernando, I think."

"Good. Tell him you'll handle it. Wrap it up fast, and get over to my place ASAP. We need to talk to you."

"I see… Is it about your other… job?" The last question was asked in a really low voice to avoid being overheard.

"Yes and no. Right now, you're the only one who can help."

"Tell the moron to stop yammering and get his ass over here pronto!" Alex yelled.

"Tell her I heard her. I'll be over there in a few. Morgan out."

"He'll be here soon," said Sarah.

"He'd better!"

The girls paced nervously all over the living room while they waited for Morgan to arrive. Alex had not noticed anything on her, but Sarah had her tattoo for over a week before anyone noticed. She resisted the urge to run to the bathroom, strip naked and carefully check her body in front of her full-length mirror. When she saw Morgan entering the courtyard, she went out, grabbed him and unceremoniously dragged him inside, shoving him into an armchair.

"OK, Grimes, start talking!"

"I'll gladly talk, Alex, but if you could please give me a subject…"

"How about this?" Alex spun Sarah around and showed Morgan the tattoo. Upon seeing it, he burst out laughing.

"Morgan, it's not funny!" Sarah said, grabbing him by the shoulders.

"Sorry Sarah, it's really funny, I mean, you only noticed it now, after more than a week!"

"Grimes, is she the only one with a-"

"No, all four of you had one done!" Morgan started laughing again at the girls' expressions. Alex looked like she was about to have a stroke.

"Morgan, we know mine. What about Alex?"

"Playboy bunny on her left as- ahem… gluteus," he replied. Alex gasped and ran at full speed to the bathroom. The agonized shriek that followed confirmed the existence of a tattoo on her left ass cheek. She stomped back into the living room and glared at Morgan.

"Grimes, you imbecile, you knew we were blind drunk and you didn't do anything to stop us? I'm gonna kill you!"

"Hey, Alex, you threatened to kill me when I _tried_ to stop you."

"Oh?"

"Yeah… fortunately, the tattoo artist was a very understanding person."

"Meaning?"

"I told her I knew you'd regret it when you'd sober up."

"And…" Sarah encouraged.

"And she used brushes and waterproof ink instead of needles. Your 'tattoos' will be gone in about another week and a half." He saw that they both looked tremendously relieved when he said that.

"Morgan, what did Carina and Jill choose?"

"Jill wanted a Celtic motif, to honor her Irish heritage. Carina preferred something Nordic. A design inspired by Freya's necklace, the Brig-"

"Brisingamen, Morgan, it's called the Brisingamen."

"Yes, exactly. In fact she had me flip a coin in order to help her choose between it and a Valkyrie's wings."

"I wonder how they reacted when they realized what they'd done."

"Carina would take it in stride, I guess. Jill would have been annoyed, but not hysterical like you."

"I was _NOT_ hysterical!"

"You were still horrified. Your scream can attest to that."

"Sarah," Morgan interrupted, "you did not realize that you'd never, ever have a real tattoo."

"Why wouldn't she, Grimes?"

"Because she's deathly afraid of needles. Even when drunk! You, Carina and Jill had to drag her inside that tattoo parlor."

"He's right," said Sarah. Alex snickered.

"Well, now that's all settled, I'll just go back to the Buy More. See ya later, ladies!" He left and went to the Herder he'd borrowed from the Buy More motor pool. A minute later he was on his way back to the store.

Sarah was returning to her room, Alex following her, holding a netbook computer. Sarah had promised to fine-tune it for her and now was an ideal time. They ran into Devon and Ellie by the fountain. The two doctors were on their way to work.

"Sarah, Alex, good morning," beamed Ellie.

"Hey little sis, Alex," added Devon. Sarah and Alex returned the greeting. "Sarah," continued Devon with a smile, "Ellie tells me you've been a very naughty girl."

"Huh?"

"Your tattoo." Sarah blushed when she heard Ellie's answer.

"I was drunk and it's only temporary. It'll be gone soon," she said sheepishly. "How did you know, Ellie?"

"I saw it when you fixed the modem a couple of days ago. Still, it's nice to see how much you love Chuck."

"I don't think Chuck and I will have much more to do to sell her our romantic cover," Sarah told Alex when the others were out of earshot. Alex replied with a Casey-like grunt.

Sarah was diligently working on Alex's netbook when the female agent spoke again.

"What should we do with Bartowski's 49-B, Walker?"

"We can't kill the 'CIA prick' they'll send."

"Yeah, the General made it clear. I was wondering if there is any way to help Bartowski come out of it smelling of roses. He's our partner, after all."

"Chuck must stay on the team. We can't afford to lose him and I'm glad you feel the same way. I guess we'll have to do it the Buy More way, with the necessary adjustments, of course," Sarah said with a devious smile.

"Please clarify."

"Right. During our time together at the Buy More, we had to deal with annoying assistant managers, namely Harry Tang and now Emmett. We'll use similar tactics against the evaluator. Drive him nuts."

"I think I like your plan. One more thing: We won't tell him anything about your brother and Grimes being in the know."

"I agree. Just leave Devon and Morgan to me. I'll brief them."

With nothing else to do, Chuck was crunching some numbers at the store, when the bell above the door dinged. He looked up and saw a dark haired man enter.

"Agent Shaw," he said.

"Agent Bartowski," the man returned the greeting.

"So, you will do the 49-B?"

"Yes. I came here from my hotel."

"We can begin any time you are ready."

"Is now a good time?"

"As good as any. Make yourself comfortable if you'd like to do it here. It's secure."

"Fine." Shaw took some papers out of his briefcase and started filling out a form.

"Let's get over with it."

"OK, Agent Bartowski, how would you describe your relationship with the asset?"

"Her name is Sarah Walker. And she's a lot more than a mere asset. You can say she's sort of a partner."

"And?"

"And the team, which consists of Ms. Walker, Major Forrest and myself, has been really successful. All missions have been concluded with most favorable outcomes."

"It has come to our attention that Ms. Walker has a propensity for placing herself at risk. Would you like to comment on this fact?"

"She cares."

"Excuse me?"

"She's not content with the passive role of an analyst. She wants to do more for the team. Yes, she has taken risks, but they have paid off in handsome dividends. Basically, she knows we'll do our job and she's more than happy to do her part of the job and more, if she can. It's a win-win situation."

"Please characterize your relationship on a personal level."

"We are friends. Something which is to be expected of long term partners. Especially given our situation with the cover we had to adopt."

"The boyfriend-girlfriend cover, I know."

"Then you realize that for it to work we can't have friction between us. We make every effort to solve problems as they crop up amicably, without any detrimental effect on team performance."

"So you are saying there are no romantic attachments between you two."

"No. Apart from the 'attachments' required for cover maintenance, we have kept our relationship confined to the partner/friend level."

"The mission reports make it look like that sometimes your decisions are made with regards to protecting the asset's… sorry, Ms. Walker's feelings rather than adherence to protocol."

"General Casey never had a problem with it. You have to understand, Shaw, Walker is still officially a civilian. She was thrust into this situation-"

"How was she, as you say, 'thrust into this situation', if you'll forgive the interruption?"

"Can't tell you. It's classified way above your current mission pertinent clearance. As I was saying, she did not ask for all of this, but she rose to the challenge and came up money time and again. Therefore, the least I can do for her is try to make it easier on her, personally and professionally. Makes for a more effective team."

"So your goals are…"

"The positive outcome of the missions, period."

"One more question."

"Shoot."

"How come the NSA arranged for her to receive a college degree?"

"All this information has been redacted from her file. And you have certainly no need to know. Classified way above Top Secret. Maybe all you have to know is that she deserved being rewarded for her services this way."

"I'd like to hear your assessment as to what makes her so effective."

"Many things contribute to it. She has acquired some very special skills, of which you have no need to know, but she's also a very intelligent individual. She has repeatedly aided us without having to rely on her special skills, just on her brain and knowledge of computers."

"I'll also need to observe you in the field. Deputy Director Hicks said I won't take your place during the evaluation, but I can be granted observer status for missions."

"No way this happens."

"May I ask why?"

"Your clearance is not high enough. I could allow you to tag along, but then Major Forrest and I would have to kill you."

"You know this severely obstructs my evaluation, Bartowski."

"Suck it up, Shaw. You are only here to evaluate me. Not my partners. Focus on my actions. Got it?"

"Yes, I got it." Shaw continued jotting down notes. He asked a few more standard questions, some of which Chuck skillfully deflected and most of which he answered cryptically. The only interruptions were when Chuck had customers in the store. When Shaw expressed his annoyance at the interruptions, Chuck fixed him with a cold stare and bluntly told him he had a complex cover to maintain, which also included his cover job. When Shaw left, Chuck did a quick sweep for bugs and called Alex.

"Forrest, secure."

"Bartowski, secure. How soon can you and Sarah come over?"

"To your store?"

"Yeah. I'm buying lunch."

"Thirty minutes."

"OK."

It took less than half an hour for Sarah and Alex to get there. He already had lunch delivered and they sat down to eat and talk.

"I had a visit just before I called you."

"The 49-B?"

"Yep. And guess who it is."

"Just tell me, Bartowski."

"Daniel Shaw."

"The second-rate soap opera actor?"

"You know him?"

"I had the misfortune of meeting him at a joint seminar."

"Yeah, the guy's a drone. No personality whatsoever, save for a massive ego."

"You are being too kind to him, Bartowski. Me, I wonder why his wife hasn't killed him yet."

"She divorced him."

"She finally saw the light, huh?"

"She almost died because of him," said Sarah.

"You flashed?"

"Yes. Shaw botched an operation in Paris and Evelyn, his wife, was shot. She was in a coma for three weeks."

"I know Eve personally. She's a good woman. Shaw did not deserve her. I often wondered how she could ever fall for him."

"Back to the present; what did he tell you, Bartowski?"

"He asked the standard questions. I'll play you the interior surveillance video later."

"Chuck, did you tell him about Morgan and Devon?"

"Of course not. He has no need to know that. It's the NSA's business and Casey is OK with them knowing."

"Good job Bartowski."

"One more thing: Shaw's not to talk to Sarah unless one of us is with her."

"Agreed."

Some time later...

"Can we get this over and done with? I have a lot more important things to do on my day off," said Alex, regarding Shaw with undisguised hostility.

"I'll try and make it quick, Agent Forrest."

"Ask away."

Shaw asked Alex about the same questions he had already asked Chuck and got the same answers: Agent Bartowski was a consummate professional who would not let his feelings get in the way. He was the best partner an agent could ever hope to have and was also a good friend. Sarah Walker was getting better at the whole espionage business with every passing day and was praised for her devotion to her partners and her duty. Yes, she had developed feelings for her partners, considering them first and foremost her friends. She trusted them both with her life and they would never betray her trust.

When Shaw requested access to the available surveillance footage of Sarah's residence and the Castle the request was flatly denied. Orders from General Casey were given as the basis for the refusal to allow him to see anything that might compromise Sarah's secret.

Sarah's turn for an interview with Shaw came soon.

"Would you please leave us, Agent Forrest?" Shaw asked.

"No."

"Excuse me?"

"We have orders for one of us to be present while you are interviewing Ms. Walker."

"I am not aware of such orders being issued."

"Would you like me to call General Casey and tell him you are jeopardizing the security of this operation?"

"You wouldn't."

"I'd prefer to terminate you on the spot, but I don't think my partner here would like to help me clean up the mess, so either shut up and wait for me to call the General or suck it up and do your job. I'm staying."

"Fine." He turned to Sarah. "Please describe your relationship with Agent Bartowski, Ms. Walker."

"It is a pleasure, a delight even, to work with Agent Bartowski."

"Care to elaborate?"

"He's a very understanding partner, meaning he tries to make it easier for me, given my relative lack of field experience. And he's a great friend, too."

"So, your relationship is purely professional."

"Yes. It remains professional even when we have to fake intimacy in order to maintain our cover."

"Can I ask you a personal question?"

"No, I'd prefer if you kept this strictly business."

"Alright then, describe your job, please."

"She can't do that without revealing classified information you don't have access to," said Alex. At that point Chuck interrupted the proceedings.

"Hey guys, just got a call from the General. Video conference in five minutes."

"Which means you can't be here for the briefing, Agent Shaw. Scoot!" Sarah said. Chuck and Alex looked at her approvingly.

"The lady said 'get the fuck outta here' mister!" Alex growled. Chuck held the door open for Shaw who left immediately. The three teammates were left alone and right on the scheduled time, the General appeared on the screen.

"Good afternoon, team. How is the evaluation going?"

"I think we're driving him up the wall, General," replied Sarah.

"If I were you, I'd expect a call from Deputy Director Hicks, complaining about 'lack of cooperation', sir," added Chuck.

"General, just in case, please have your people run a security check on Agent Daniel Shaw, CIA," said Alex.

"Hicks sent Shaw? How stupid can the man be? Even if they decide to replace Bartowski with Shaw…"

"Shaw won't last a week. He's good for one-time missions, but long term assignments are not exactly his forte. He failed the most important one, after all."

"He lost an asset, Agent Bartowski?"

"No, sir, I was talking about his marriage." Casey grunted in reply.

"Anyway," the General continued, "I called to give you your next mission." Now he had their undivided attention. "There is a company in downtown LA which we suspect is a front for an international money laundering operation. Normally we'd leave it for the IRS, but since they are suspected of being involved with terrorist organizations, we decided to take a closer look. Your job is to place a bug on their server, so we'll know what they are up to at any given time."

"Shall we go in as repairmen or something, sir?" Chuck asked.

"This is up to you," Casey replied. "But you can bring Shaw along for the ride. The chances of Ms. Walker flashing on anyone in there are slim."

"Yes, sir."

About an hour later, Chuck and Shaw approached the suspect company's building dressed as Nerd Herders.

"Are you sure this is gonna work, Bartowski?" Shaw asked.

"Hopefully." They entered the building and went straight to the front desk.

"Hello, we got a call about a computer emergency."

"Listen, Nerd," said the man on duty there, "our techs are more than capable of handling it. And I was not told about anyone being called to fix it."

Chuck and Shaw had no choice but to leave.

"Plan B," said Chuck.

Within minutes, two more Nerd Herders made their way towards the building. This time it was Sarah and Alex, both dressed in really short black skirts, tight white shirts showing a lot of cleavage (shirt tails tied above their midriffs) and high heel ankle-strap sandals. Alex had also applied some concealer over Sarah's temporary tattoo. Chuck had laughed when he'd seen it and Sarah, supported by Alex, had insisted it was part of their cover. Shaw did not look as amused as the others.

"Can you believe what I'm wearing?" Alex asked.

"Don't worry and let me do the talking. There are people like me in there, computer geeks, nerds. And right now their network is being attacked by a particularly nasty virus; back in Stanford we called it the 'Walker Special'."

"Yeah, whatever." The moment the two women stepped inside, every eye was on them and their stripper-ific outfits. Sarah sauntered over to the front desk and smiled sweetly. Every male in the lobby was by now openly staring at the two beautiful Nerd Goddesses and many were unconsciously drooling. The only other woman there looked at them with undisguised envy.

"Hi. I hear you're having a computer problem," she said.

"Uh, yeah, we do… Right this way, ladies. Follow me please."

Sarah winked at Alex, who smiled. It had been really easy. In fact it was all thanks to the predictability of men. It took them only a few minutes to 'repair' the server, plant the required NSA software and return to the van. The ride back to Castle was quiet. Once there, the customary debriefing videoconference began. This time, however, Deputy Director Hicks of the CIA was on one of the screens in addition to General Casey. The Director of the NSA congratulated his team on the successful mission. He concluded by asking Hicks if he had anything to add.

"Yes, General," replied Hicks. "I'd like to formally complain about your team's attitude towards the evaluation and the agent performing it. He was stonewalled at every turn and you have not helped either. You insisted on too many restrictions be placed upon the evaluation process."

"I had a good reason for that, Deputy Director Hicks," Casey said icily.

"Anyway, Agent Shaw has reached a conclusion. Please share it, Shaw," Hicks said.

"Yes, sir. To all appearances the team functions in a professional manner. The ties between its members are not in any way unusual. But it is my considered belief that Agent Bartowski is seriously compromised with the asset, although they all tried to hide it."

"Can you substantiate the above, Agent Shaw?"

"Yes, sir. As I said, they almost managed to blindside me, and the obstacles they placed in the evaluation did not help either. But I discovered that Agent Bartowski broke regulations by using CIA resources in an unauthorized attempt to find the location of one Jack Walker, the asset's father, I believe."

"Is this true Agent Bartowski?"

"Yes, it is. Ms. Walker has done a great deal for the intelligence community. And I know she needs her father to be at her brother's upcoming wedding. Devon Walker would also like to have his father there. She deserves a breach of regulations and more, sir."

"You realize your admission gives me the right not to just reassign you, but to fire you and perhaps prosecute you?"

"Yes sir." Everyone in the room fell silent. Sarah was trembling. She didn't believe they would take Chuck away from her. Alex was furious. She wanted to punch Shaw's smug expression out of his face. Chuck appeared to be resigned to his fate, but dreading the moment he'd have to leave Sarah and the people he'd come to regard as family.

"Enough!" Casey said. "Hicks if you want to fire Bartowski, be my guest and do it. But the second you do it, I'm hiring him. And he gets to stay right where he is, because I don't want to break up my most successful team. Their accomplishments speak volumes. And if they manage to find Mr. Walker, I consider it a well deserved bonus for them. You rock the boat and I will take the matter to the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence. And when they are through with you, you and Shaw will be looking for a new job. You got it?"

"Are you telling me to turn a blind eye to such a blatant infraction, General?"

"Yes, because I'd also like to remind you that many of your Agency's recent successes were entirely due to intelligence generated by this team. Would you like to lose such an effective source of information?"

"No, I would not."

"The matter is considered settled then."

Hicks singed off. Casey dismissed Shaw and once again assured Chuck, Sarah and Alex that he would never allow anything to break the team up, given their string of unqualified successes, as long as it was within his power.

After Shaw left to return to DC, Chuck pulled Sarah and Alex into a team hug. There were smiles all around. They had gone through a bad scare and the relief was evident on all of them. Sarah felt a bit drained. She just wanted to go home and cuddle on the couch with Chuck until Ellie had dinner ready. He sensed it and led them all out to the parking lot. They took their cars, picking up Morgan as well, and returned to Echo Park. Devon was anxiously waiting for them by the fountain. Sarah had told him and Morgan about the 49-B and he was the only one who did not yet know the result.

"Hey guys, how did it go?"

"It was a close shave, Captain, but we got through it."

"You are staying with us then, bro?"

"I'm not going anywhere."

"Can't we talk later? Right now I'm dying for a pre-dinner movie," said Morgan.

"I'm with you buddy," said Sarah.

"Lead the way Walker."

"Sure. I'm positive you'll love the movie too, Alex."

"Right now all I can think of is a cosmopolitan and Ellie's cooking."

"I can't rival my fiancée's cooking, but I make mean cosmos," laughed Devon, "and I'd love to make you one right now. Chuckster, would you like one as well?"

"No thanks Devon. I'd settle for a cold beer right now."

The movie was great, as was dinner. They all complimented Ellie's cooking (again, as she never seemed to have a single failure in the kitchen). They also browsed through the photos that had gotten Chuck in so much 'trouble' with his mother. It was just past midnight when Alex and Morgan filed out to go home. Chuck was about to leave too, when Sarah grabbed him and kissed him tenderly but passionately, Devon and Ellie looking at them approvingly.

"Thank you," she whispered after breaking off the kiss.

"For what?"

"For all the effort you are putting into helping me find my dad."

"I know what it means to you. And to Devon. And since I could do it…"

"Shhh… Say no more." She kissed him again. "Goodnight Chuck," she said.

"Goodnight Sarah. See you tomorrow." He turned to leave and paused. He looked back at her and motioned for her to join him at the fountain.

"What is it, Chuck?"

"Your tattoo. You didn't really have it done for the cover, did you?"

"You want the truth?"

"Yes, please."

"OK. First of all, it's temporary. Morgan convinced the lady at the parlor to give us all temporary tattoos."

"What do you mean 'us all'?"

"Alex, Carina, Jill and me."

"Wait, Forrest's got a tattoo?"

"Yes. But I won't tell you what it is. Or where it is, for what the matter."

"Then I guess you had it done while you were plastered."

"Yes," she admitted with a twinge of guilt.

"I guess I should feel flattered. Thanks. But you realize…"

"I know. We're already skating on thin ice here. But we are still friends. I'll wait till the Intersect is out of my head before I try for anything more."

She hugged him and walked him to his car. He was about to get in and drive away when she latched on his arm.

"What is it, Sarah?"

"Chuck, please stay with me tonight. I need you beside me. I almost lost you today, to the stupid bureaucracy of all things. Do you know how scared I was?"

"I was too."

"Why?"

"For you. I was scared for you. I wouldn't know how good my replacement would be, or even if he would be on the up and up and not Fulcrum. And yes, I'll stay with you tonight. We both need it, I think."

"Let's get your bag and go back inside then."

"How do you know about my bag?"

"I'm not an entirely incompetent spy, Chuck."

"No, in fact you can do anything you want."

They were still holding each other when they got back inside and announced that Chuck would be staying for the night to an 'Awesome!' from Devon and an excited squeal from Ellie.

When they got in bed they instinctively sought out each other in the dark. Sarah spooned up against him, her back pressed on his chest. He wrapped his arms around her and held her tenderly. She placed her arms over his. Comforted, she quickly fell asleep. Chuck placed a kiss on her neck where it met her shoulder before settling his head back on the pillows and closing his eyes. He soon drifted off into a peaceful sleep.


	12. Chapter 12 Sarah vs the Revelations

**A/N:** Time to get another chapter up for your reading pleasure (I hope…).

Thank you for your views and opinions on the previous chapters, they sure help.

Disclaimers are in the first and all subsequent chapters. Just look them up, if you feel you have to.

* * *

**Sarah vs. the Revelations**

"Shower… Bed… Sleep," droned a zombie-like Sarah as she and an also tired Alex entered the courtyard supporting each other. The latest missions had been exhausting. But with the last one wrapped up, they now had time to rest. Alex was somewhat better off, but Sarah really looked like she was on the verge of collapse. She'd been pulling all-nighters on missions and Emmett had given her three double shifts at the Buy More, all in the space of less than a week. She'd been getting by with a grand total of three hours of sleep a day in catnaps and sometimes with even less than that. In fact, she'd only managed to keep functioning by drinking coffee and other caffeine-heavy beverages all the time and by being on a constant sugar rush from cupcakes and energy bars. Not to mention that all the above coincided with her difficult days of the month.

"Not so fast, Walker. I know you're tired, but you really need to go through the intel package the General sent us. After that, you can sleep all you want. Trust me, it's important to see what data the Intersect can provide. And I'll be with you all the way."

"Okay, if you say so," Sarah said hesitantly.

"Hey, you did a great job again. Cheer up. I think I'll get the General to give you a few days off. Go on vacation somewhere. You've earned it."

"The NSA will let me go on vacation?" Sarah asked as they entered Forrest's apartment.

"Conditionally. On of us will have to be with you all the time. I think I'll leave this job to Bartowski. It'll look good for your cover too, the lovebirds going on vacation together."

"Sounds like a good deal. Just do me a favor."

"What?"

"Tell Chuck, Casey, or whoever, to arrange for us to go somewhere quiet. I'd really like a flash-free vacation." Sarah lowered her aching body on the couch and rearranged the cushions to make herself more comfortable.

"Good thinking there. I'll be sure to pass it on."

"Thanks."

"You want anything?" Alex asked as she gave Sarah the files she needed to review.

"Just some coffee, Alex, thanks."

"I'll only be a sec."

Sarah yawned, rubbed her tired eyes and looked at the small pile of documents as she waited for her coffee to arrive. The flashes from the last mission had given her a headache, but she felt she could put up with it long enough to finish the task at hand.

While waiting for the coffee machine to finish making a pot, Alex placed a small digital MP3 recorder on the coffee table and fired up her laptop. She then went to the kitchen, poured coffee in two big mugs, added cream and sugar and picked up a plate of cookies Ellie had made before returning to the living room. She gave Sarah her mug and placed the cookies on the table. She downed one, picked up her laptop to start working on her mission report and sank into the couch, kicking off her shoes and resting her bare feet on the coffee table. Sarah did the same and picked up the first file.

Sarah furrowed her brow in concentration as she went through that first file. The contents did not trigger any flashes, which was quite a relief. The second file was also a bust, as was the third. Even the NSA did not expect anything from these files, according to the cover sheets. The fourth file produced a flash, nothing much, and Sarah diligently recited the recalled information for the recorder to document. But her headache got worse, even with the minor flash. The fifth file also caused a few minor flashes, but her condition worsened. The last file was a killer; she was flashing non stop on the contents, and some of the flashes were really long – and painful. One lasted about four minutes. All the time she was speaking into the recorder, trying not to omit anything.

As the last flash subsided, Sarah's head felt like it was about to explode. The pain was excruciating and the usual slight dizziness that accompanied the flashes had turned into full-blown nausea. She pushed herself shakily up on her feet and stumbled out of the living room. Out of the corner of her eye, Alex saw her getting up.

"Where are you going Walker?" Alex asked.

"Bathroom," Sarah replied, "Be right back."

"OK."

Alex was not concerned at first, as she'd been too busy with the report to notice Sarah's worsening condition. But when she heard a retching sound coming from the bathroom, she got really worried.

"Walker? What's going on in there? Are you OK?"

"Yeah, I think so," Sarah croaked before using some mouthwash to swill the foul taste of vomit away. She then stumbled back into the living room. Alex looked up at her and almost believed she was seeing an actual zombie. There was no other way to describe how Sarah looked.

"You are not OK, come and sit-"

Alex never finished the sentence as Sarah took another step before her knees buckled. Forrest moved quickly and managed to grab her before she fell on the floor.

"Walker, talk to me!" Sarah's eyes were closed and a moan escaped her lips. "Walker!" Alex yelled as she knelt beside Sarah and gently cradled her head on her lap.

"A- Alex… I…" Sarah whimpered pathetically and passed out.

"Walker! Sarah! Sarah, dammit, don't you do this to me! Wake up! Talk to me!"

She lightly slapped Sarah's cheek and pulled her hand abruptly away as if she'd been burned. Forcing herself to concentrate, she felt Sarah's forehead; she was burning up. _Oh crap, oh crap, oh crap_, she thought as she carried her unconscious friend to the bedroom. She laid her on the bed and quickly removed her blouse and jeans before tucking her in. Sarah was now sweating and shivering, symptoms of a high fever. Her pulse was racing, too. Alex got a digital thermometer and took Sarah's temperature; 104 degrees. She was really scared now; she had considerable first aid training and experience, but it concerned mostly gunshot and stab wounds, bumps, cuts, bruises, insect and snake bites. She knew nothing on how to deal with what could very well be a malfunctioning Intersect.

But she could try to control the symptoms, especially the fever. She ran to the bathroom and wetted a clean washcloth, which she placed on Sarah's forehead. She then wiped the sweat off Sarah's face and torso with a soft towel.

"Please, Sarah, please be OK," she said as she stroked her friend's cheek and brushed a stray lock of hair away, tucking it behind her ear.

"Ugh… Owww," Sarah moaned but did not wake up. Forrest ran to get her phone and called Chuck.

"Hello!" Chuck said cheerfully.

"Chuck! Where are you?"

"I'm driving to Westside Medical with Morgan to pick up Awesome and Ellie. Their car's in the shop."

"How soon can you get here?"

"I don't know. We may have to swing by the store for groceries and stuff." He suddenly realized that his partner sounded worried and frantic. "Why, is anything wrong?" He was beginning to get worried himself.

"It's Sarah. She's in a bad way!"

"What? What happened?"

"She's running a fever and she's out cold. I think the Intersect may have caused it! She needs a doctor, now!"

"I'll get them and be there as soon as I can. I'll then bring Devon to your place."

"I think you'd better bring Ellie. She's the neurologist."

"We'll have to deal with some awkward questions, Forrest."

"I don't give a shit about that! It's Sarah we are talking about! Just bring them here!"

Alex hung up. Chuck glanced at Morgan who had heard everything as the phone had been on speaker. The bearded man was also very worried. Focusing again on driving, Chuck floored the accelerator pedal. Devon and Ellie were waiting for them in the hospital parking lot. The Charger screeched to a halt next to them.

"Quick, get in!" Chuck commanded. The urgency in his voice compelled them to obey. The car left twin trails of burnt rubber on the asphalt and a cloud of smoke as he sped away.

"Chuckster, what's wrong?"

"Your sister, Devon, she's sick. Alex just called."

"What?"

"How bad is it?" Ellie asked.

"She's running a fever and she has lost consciousness."

"Step on it bro. And relax. You've got two doctors here. Just concentrate on driving."

Morgan had gone to the back seat for Devon to ride shotgun and now he leaned forward and whispered in Devon's ear that the Intersect might have caused Sarah's condition and explained why they'd need Ellie. They'd just have to deal with the fallout later.

Meanwhile, Alex was nervously pacing the bedroom, all the while watching Sarah. She then remembered something and went to her closet and rummaged through a duffel bag. From it she pulled out an old teddy bear she'd had since she was little. It had always brought her luck. She looked at it fondly and then tucked it under Sarah's arm. She was hoping it'd bring her friend some luck too. Finally, she sat down next to the bed, holding Sarah's hand in hers. She was feeling responsible for what had happened. If she had not been so insistent on having Sarah review the intel before resting…

"I'm sorry, partner," she muttered, "I'm really sorry. It's my fault. Get better, please." How would she be able to face all those people who considered her a friend, her partner, Morgan and especially Devon and Ellie, if… No, she could not think about it now.

She only got up when she heard the others in the courtyard. She ran downstairs and threw the door open. Without a word, she grabbed Ellie by the arm and led her to the bedroom. Ellie barely had time to register what she was seeing in Forrest's apartment: the computers, some weapons and tactical gear stowed in a corner, the security, communications and surveillance equipment…

"Alex, what happened?" Ellie asked as she started to examine Sarah.

"Uh, it's complicated. I mean, she was tired but we still had some more work to do…"

"With computers?"

"Yes, sort of. Anyway, when she was finished with work, she went to the bathroom and threw up. I guess the work, combined with her exhaustion caused nausea. And then she fainted. And her temperature is really high. 104 degrees when I checked."

"You are definitely not telling me something."

"We will tell you everything. Just help Sarah."

"I'm listening."

"First of all, babe," interrupted Devon, "let me tell you that some things are not what they seemed. Chuck here is a CIA agent. Alex is with the NSA and Sarah's working with them."

"You mean Sarah, your _sister_ and my future _sister in law_, is a _spy_?"

"Not exactly a spy, but sort of a civilian contributor, Ellie," said Chuck.

"Devon, go get an IV kit and a saline solution bag. We need to replenish her fluids. Chuck, go on. I want to hear everything. Start from the beginning."

"Basically Sarah's got all the information that used to be stored in a supercomputer called the Intersect stuck in her head." Chuck, Alex, Morgan and Devon (when he got back with the kit) then proceeded to fill Ellie in on the details of the last two years.

"Remember when she missed the AM interview? She was on a mission with us. A lot of our other 'dates' before and after that were in fact missions. Remember Stanford? It was a mission too. The metal festival? Mission. Her recent leave from the Buy More? Mission. Devon and Morgan found out about it all by accident just after that." The others also added more details of Sarah's secret life.

Ellie finished inserting the IV needle in Sarah's arm and got up. She moved to where the others were standing and slapped each one of them in turn, hard.

"That's for keeping me in the dark and lying to me," she yelled. "And for forcing Sarah to become a liar. And don't you think I won't kick her ass too, when she gets better!" She had gone nuclear, as they had feared.

"El, babe, they did it for our own protection," Devon said, massaging his cheek.

"That's a load of crap, Devon and you know it! Do you know how much it hurt seeing her apparently stuck in a dead end job without wanting to get out of it? How proud of her I am right now that I know the truth? OK, I'm scared too, but mostly I admire her."

"Ellie, is she going to be OK?" Alex asked, anxiety written all over her.

"Yes. It may look serious, but it's nothing a good rest won't fix. Think of it as a system overload. From what you told me these flashes of hers have some mild aftereffects. The cumulative effect of repeated flashes and her fatigue added on top of the menses caused all this. She needs to rest, drink plenty of fluids and eat well. Her temperature will return to normal soon, I think. But for now, let her sleep. And, Alex, dim the lights, if you can."

Alex obliged and turned off the overhead lights, switching on a shaded lamp instead. She was careful to place it so it would not shine directly into Sarah's eyes. Afterwards she went to the kitchen and brought a bottle of whiskey and enough glasses for everyone.

"Is there anything else you want to know, Ellie?"

"Yes, there is," she said, taking a sip of the fiery liquid. Chuck, your relationship with Sarah, you've been faking it the whole time? Because you certainly had me fooled."

"Yes," he admitted. "But we are friends, real friends."

"Chuck, look at me in the eyes and tell me you don't have feelings for Sarah."

"He has feelings for her, Ellie," Alex answered as Chuck hesitated. "I'm his partner and I've been around the two of them long enough to realize. He's just trying to be professional and not let them out in the open. He knows the consequences of that. And so does Sarah…" But then she whispered "but she's madly in love with Chuck too" in Ellie's ear and winked at the brunette doctor.

"Is all that true?"

"Yes," admitted Chuck.

"So you two have never…"

"No."

"Not once?"

"Not once." He downed the rest of his whiskey and Alex gave him a refill.

"That sucks. You both want it. You need it. Just do it already!"

"Ellie, it's comp-"

"Don't you fucking tell me it's complicated, mister!" Such anger and the use of profanity were totally uncharacteristic of Ellie. "For once just say 'to hell with the rules' and start living your life! You can do both: work with Sarah and _love_ Sarah."

"Ellie…"

"Aw, for fuck's sakes Bartowski! If worse comes to worst we can always claim you used seduction to keep the asset in line, like it says in the goddamn manual. Sarah is a good actress and she can fake indignation upon 'finding out she'd been played' – if you two are caught. And even then General Casey may, scratch that, _will_ prefer to turn a blind eye and even cover for you with the CIA. We are his best people, after all. Think about me for a moment, will ya? You think it's easy not going ballistic while watching you two tiptoeing around your feelings all the time?"

"Forrest? Are you serious?"

"Damn right I am. Just think with your big head, the one on your shoulders, when on the job. When not actually on missions I'm giving you carte blanche to do anything you two want, as long as we keep functioning efficiently as a team. And right now, stay with your girl! She needs you! Ellie, Devon, Morgan, follow me." They marched out of the bedroom and went downstairs to the living room to talk. Alex felt she needed to explain some things more thoroughly to Ellie and she also had to contact Casey and inform him of Sarah's condition and of the fact that Ellie was now in the know as well.

The next morning…

All except for Ellie had taken turns watching over Sarah as she slept. She was no longer feverish, and she appeared to be resting comfortably. They had agreed to call Ellie if her condition deteriorated.

Chuck's shift was almost over when she stirred and opened her eyes. The first thing she noticed was Chuck holding her hand.

"Good morning Chuck," she said, smiling sweetly.

"Hey Sarah, how are you feeling?"

"Just a bit woozy, I guess. What exactly happened?"

"In computer terms, you overloaded your system."

"And then?"

"And then you woke up. Oh, we had to bring Ellie in to examine you. And she knows all about the Intersect now. Consider her your attending neurologist."

"She didn't take it too well at first, did she?"

"Why do you say that?"

"I'm not blind, you know," she said and reached up to touch the still faintly visible handprint on Chuck's cheek where Ellie had slapped him.

"We all got one."

"We?"

"Yeah, Forrest, Awesome, Morgan and yours truly."

"And she's gonna come gunning for your ass too, young lady!" Alex boomed from the door. She jumped on the bed, landing beside Sarah and took the younger woman in a friendly headlock/embrace.

"Forrest!" Chuck warned.

"You scared the livin' crap out of me, Sarah," Alex said.

"I'm sorry about that."

"No, I should be telling you I'm sorry. I knew you were exhausted and still I insisted on you doing the dailies."

"You were just as tired. You couldn't have known."

"I'm not the one who's got a hard drive for brains, Sarah. I should have taken it into consideration. So, again, I'm sorry."

"I still don't think you have anything to apologize for, but, if it's gonna make you feel better, apology accepted."

"Good. I think I'll go make you some breakfast and leave you two lovebirds alone."

"You're acting really weird, Alex."

"Meaning?"

"You are calling me 'Sarah', and I'd say you are almost looking forward to me and Chuck spending time together. And what's with this teddy bear? It's not mine!"

"Look, I'll still call you 'Walker' on missions. But right now, you are Sarah, my friend and neighbor. And I'm OK with you and Agent Casanova here going forward with your thing under the cover thing. Something tells me that team performance will be even better once you two hook up for real."

"You're kidding me!"

"I most certainly am not! Ask anyone, they'll tell you what I said last night. As for the teddy bear, it's mine; it always brought me luck, since before I was born, and you needed some yourself last night," Forrest said and went to the kitchen.

"Chuck, is it true?"

"Yes. Apparently we are not good enough at keeping our feelings to ourselves. We thought we had sold the cover, but we were only kidding ourselves. They all saw right through it."

"What do we do now?"

"I don't know… Relationships were never my strong suit."

"Same here, only I'm always babbling about my feelings… so we just take it slow, but on a whole different basis? Get to know each other all over again and do the dating stuff from the beginning, hoping to get it right this time?"

"I could go with this. When off missions we can be just Sarah and Chuck, trying to build up our relationship. And when we are on missions…"

"I'm supposed to stay in the car!" They both started laughing.

"So, you are awake? Good. Time for an ass whooping," Ellie said, entering the room with an evil grin.

"Ellie, have mercy, she just woke up."

"And that's supposed to stop me?"

"You've already punished her enough!"

"I have?"

"You stuck a needle in her," said Chuck and Sarah noticed the IV in her arm for the first time.

"Argh, Ellie, take it out, I hate needles!"

"I had to keep your fluids up," she said, withdrawing the needle and placing a band-aid over the small puncture in her arm. "But now you can hydrate yourself. One more thing: I recommend at least one caffeine and sugar free day for you. I told Alex to make your breakfast salty, as you'll need to replace the body salts you sweated out last night."

"Ellie, Chuck, what about the…"

"The Intersect?"

"Yes."

"General Casey listened to Ellie and gave you a couple of days off. We'll try and keep them flash-free, barring major emergencies which may require your… input. Then, if these days pass without you flashing, we'll give you a test to see if the Intersect was affected in any way."

"Here, kid, dig in," Alex said as she deposited a tray with a generous breakfast on Sarah's lap.

"Thanks. Oh, crap! I'll be late for work!"

"Don't sweat about it. Morgan told Big Mike you're sick and he and Alex will take care of anything. No need to bother you, so just relax and rest."

Ellie and Alex left the not-so-faux-now couple alone and retreated to the study. They had to go over some bureaucratic ground rules pertaining to Ellie's new position as an outside contractor, specifically as part of the medical support team along with Devon.

"Mmmm… I didn't know Alex is such a good cook. She makes mean scrambled eggs."

"Fuck!"

"What?"

"I forgot to restart the search for your dad's address in Castle, after that idiot Shaw pulled the plug on it. It came to me when you used the word 'scrambled'."

"No rush, Chuck. The wedding is still over a week away."

"Yeah, but I wanted to do this for you and Awesome."

"Come here," she said and placed her tray to the side. She then grabbed Chuck and kissed him. "Thank you Chuck. And I will expect at least one smooch every day, to keep the Intersect and its host functioning to their full capacity. Besides, that's what normal couples do." Sarah was feeling a bit giddy, as if she could not yet believe she now had the chance to move forward with Chuck for real. Like it was all a dream.

"I can do that. And then we'll see how it goes."

"Sounds like a plan. And we'll make it work," she said and returned to eating her breakfast.

The day passed quietly. Devon and Ellie went to work their shifts at the hospital, Morgan and Alex were at the Buy More, while Chuck stayed with Sarah. He had taken her back to her own room from Forrest's apartment and they decided to spend the day together, no cover and no missions, just themselves. Sarah wanted to do some gaming with Chuck, but he objected, citing Ellie's orders. He would not even let her anywhere near her computer.

In the end they cuddled on the couch, with Sarah melting in Chuck's arms, and just talked. They consciously avoided any relationship issues for now, but Sarah could not contain her happiness at not having to lie any more to her loved ones. She even did the unthinkable and tried to cook, much to Chuck's amusement. Fortunately Ellie had managed to teach her some useful skills, but although the end result was good, the whole process was, well, messy. She didn't care. She had her man who could clean up after her, which he did without a murmur.

So, when all the others returned from work, they found a sumptuous meal ready. They sat down to eat. With the first bite Ellie took an expression of bliss.

"This is delicious. Almost exactly like my own recipe. Which restaurant did you order from?"

"Chez Sarah," Chuck replied and pointed at his girl.

"No way! Chuck, I want the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth."

"The truth? Fine." Chuck got up, turned the TV on and inserted a DVD in the player. Sarah appeared on the screen, her back to the camera, whistling a happy tune while… cooking. By the time the short home video ended, Ellie had been turned into a believer. She had clearly heard Sarah mention several times the cooking lessons she had taken from her future sister in law. And Ellie was proud of her student's progress. But she could not suppress a comment about the mess Sarah had made in the now squeaky clean kitchen.

"What do you think I had Chuck in there for?" Sarah asked half-seriously. Everyone laughed.

A couple of days later Ellie had cleared Sarah for both Nerd Herd and spy duty and a quick test showed she still had the Intersect in her head and it was functioning properly. Sarah was in the employee break room of the Buy More with Morgan, reading a computer magazine and planning their future joint game acquisitions. When she turned a page to an ad about a software conference hosted by Roark Instruments, she flashed. Only it was not one of the usual flashes, for it had the reddish tint characteristic of the Fulcrum version of the Intersect she'd uploaded on the suburbs mission. It was the first time Morgan witnessed a flash and so he was a bit awed, but immediately ran to get Alex. He found her prowling the large appliance section aisles waiting for customers.

"Alex," he said in a low voice, "Sarah just flashed. Employee break room, now."

"I'll be right there. Grimes, we may have to go, you know, _downstairs_."

"Say no more. I got you covered."

"Good."  
Sarah had already called Chuck and he was in Castle waiting for them.

"Hey Sarah, what was the flash about?"

"It was about a function hosted by Roark Instruments. A conference on web security software. The Fulcrum Intersect had something on it. I think they are planning to release their own software, possibly under the RI brand and therefore, since major corporations and the government are using Roark's software, get a handy back door into sensitive networks."

"This is big, Walker. I guess we'll have to contact the General."

General Casey listened attentively to what Sarah had to say. The implications of the federal government and several large corporations unknowingly using corrupted software did not take long to sink in.

"It seems you will have to attend the conference, people. Ms. Walker, as I understand, you have been cleared for duty, right?"

"Yes, General."

"I suggest you go in undercover. Major Forrest, you will be posing as the CEO of an up and coming company seeking to buy software. Agent Bartowski, you will be a businessman staying at the hotel."

"And me, General?" Sarah asked.

"She'll be more useful if she comes along with us, given her knowledge of computers, sir."

"Yes, I know, Agent Bartowski. And she will need a cover seemingly irrelevant to the conference, so as not to draw the attention of anyone who might be Fulcrum. I strongly suggest she goes with Bartowski posing as..."

"My wife? Girlfriend? Secretary?"

"I was thinking of something that would allow Ms. Walker more freedom of movement inside the hotel."

"Sir?"

"He means Walker is gonna be a high priced call girl on this mission, Bartowski," Alex chuckled.

"Me, General, an escort?"

"I don't mean to offend you, but why the hell not? You certainly got the looks, and with the suitable wardrobe and makeup you should not have a problem being convincing."

When the briefing ended, they worked on the details of their covers.

"The General sure knows how to compliment a lady," mused Sarah.

"Just don't get too cocky, Walker."

"So, what's the plan? I mean, you go in, buy a copy of the software for analysis, but what will Chuck and I do?"

"You will go and check in today, lay the groundwork and tap into the security system from your room. I'll arrive tomorrow with the rest of the conference attendees. You should leave now, if you want to get ready in time. Grimes will clock Walker out. He and I will make sure Milbarge doesn't get wind of her absence."

Chuck had gone to the hospital to pick up Ellie and Awesome again, after taking their car from the shop. Devon drove them to Echo Park and left the car at its usual spot. The three of them then walked to the apartment.

"So, Devon, is this whole spy business exciting?"

"I wouldn't know El. All I did was help keep you in the dark and be ready to provide medical support if needed."

"Trust me Ellie, there is nothing about this job that's romantic, glamorous or sexy," Chuck said while waiting for Devon to open the door. Ellie went in first and just stared at Sarah in surprise. The men did a double take. Sarah had her long blond hair combed straight, she was wearing a very short and very revealing red dress and matching lipstick, fishnet pantyhose, plus quite a bit of flashy jewelry. She was in the act of hiding a small tranq gun in one of her calf high lace-up high heeled boots when they entered. She just smiled and winked seductively at Chuck.

"Hi-yo…" was all he could say. Ellie just started laughing after overcoming the initial shock of seeing Sarah dressed like a hooker.

"Wonder how much that cost," said one bellhop to another as they watched Sarah make her way to the elevators arm in arm with Chuck. His buddy agreed wholeheartedly. That call girl must not have come cheap. Sarah thought they had really sold it and told Chuck as much as the elevator ascended to their floor. He agreed and complimented her acting. She in turn reminded him of the time when Awesome had given them a chocolate Oscar statuette – with cream filling – as an award for their performance in front of Ellie once. And it had been delicious, too.

Just to reinforce the cover, Sarah called room service and ordered champagne, a cherry cheesecake and popcorn, while Chuck was setting up the surveillance and trying not to laugh too loudly. He then had her keep watch on the monitors as he went to place a remote interface on the separate security system which covered the conference hall. With her help he managed to avoid a patrolling security guard and soon they had visual from the hall and the backstage areas.

With nothing left to do until the conference began, they cuddled together on the queen sized bed, going through the popcorn while watching TV. Sarah was not about to let a perfectly good cheesecake go to waste, so she insisted on splitting it with Chuck. She said it reminded her of the time she'd shared a cheesecake with Morgan when her mother had left, but she now wanted to have cheesecake with a friend on a happy occasion, namely being free to go forward with their relationship for real.

They were enjoying some champagne and watching the surveillance feeds when she flashed on a man who'd just entered the lobby. She identified him as a former government employee, a computer systems expert, currently suspected of having Fulcrum ties. This was confirmed by a Fulcrum Intersect flash. Chuck immediately called Forrest and the General and asked for a tactical team to be on standby should an intervention be required, as Fulcrum's involvement was now verified beyond any doubt.

Chuck and Sarah spent the night sleeping in each other's arms and in the morning turned their full attention to the surveillance feeds, as people started arriving at the hotel for the conference. They saw Alex coming in dressed in an elegant business suit, which, as Sarah remarked, accentuated her femininity, making it one of the rare occasions when Forrest actually looked like the beautiful woman she was, instead of a cold school killer or a common salesperson, as they were accustomed to seeing her. They even complimented her wardrobe choices over the communications link.

"Alex, the tech guy to the left of the man making the presentation is the Fulcrum agent we identified yesterday. Keep an eye on him. I did not flash on anyone else yet," said Sarah over the radio. Two mike clicks answered her. For the moment they did not have much to work with, but as the conference progressed it became obvious that Fulcrum had considerable influence inside Roark Instruments. Chuck postulated that Ted Roark might even be Fulcrum himself. A backstage camera caught Roark going over some schematics with an assistant. Chuck zoomed in to see what it was all about and Sarah caught her breath.

"Sarah? What is it, did you flash?"

"No, but these are schematics for an Intersect."

"How do you know?"

"Remember the laptop Orion gave me?"

"Yes."

"It contained similar schematics in one folder. I studied them, trying to figure out a way to remove the Intersect from my head."

"We need to find where Roark has the new Fulcrum Intersect."

"I guess somewhere inside the Roark Instruments campus." She opened her laptop and called up the Intersect schematics. She then proceeded to compare them to a map of the sprawling Roark Instruments facility. "There," she said, "this building looks like it was built to house the Intersect hardware. The configurations match."

"Are you sure?"

"Not 100% sure, but quite close."

"Damn! We are now faced with two operations; preventing Fulcrum from getting access to important networks and stopping them from running their own Intersect." He called Casey again and brought him up to speed. The General agreed the new developments were disturbing and immediately reassigned the tactical team to raid Roark's campus at night. A backup section posing as FBI agents would take any Fulcrum agents present at the conference into custody. Alex was ordered to deliver her copy of the software to the local NSA lab post haste.

They were back in Echo Park when Casey called to informed them of the results of the operations; the good news was that they had several Fulcrum agents in custody and the NSA labs could develop a patch to neutralize Fulcrum's Trojan Horse once the software was thoroughly analyzed. The bad news was that the core of the Intersect terminal was nowhere to be found and Ted Roark had also disappeared. Nevertheless, the team received congratulations for the effort.

They were in Alex's apartment to stow their equipment when a computer beeped. It was the one linking the apartment to Castle. Chuck announced that his search for Jack Walker was finished successfully. According to the information the CIA had, Jack Walker's last known residence was just outside of San Diego. Chuck would take Sarah there in the morning. She was guardedly hopeful and he volunteered to stay with her during the night and she immediately accepted the offer. She needed his support, no matter what the results of their planned road trip would be. She was so anxious she had trouble sleeping, even with Chuck's arms reassuringly around her.

During the drive to San Diego she looked distracted. She didn't know what she'd do if they didn't find her dad, or how she'd react if she saw him again after all those years.

Chuck drove fast and a little more than a couple of hours after they left Burbank he pulled over in front of a small isolated house. He hung back as Sarah approached the front door and knocked. There was no reply. Sarah hesitantly made her way back to Chuck, the disappointment obvious on her face. He hugged her and she closed her eyes to force back the tears. She then looked up at him. Their heads came closer. He was about to kiss and console her when they heard the door opening. Sarah turned to look with renewed hope and saw a middle aged man standing there.

"Daddy?"

"Hello Angel," Jack Walker said. "Come on in." As if in a dream, Sarah entered the house. "You too, Agent Bartowski," Jack continued. Chuck was astounded. How on earth did Sarah's father know him?

Inside, Sarah looked at the impressive array of computer terminals and assorted hardware in awe as Chuck and her father entered. Realization dawned upon her.

"Daddy?"

"Yes, darling?"

"You are Orion," she said, still unbelieving. Chuck was visibly shocked. She took another look around and hugged her smiling dad before disappearing in his embrace. As tears of joy flowed freely down her flushed cheeks she repeated the newly revealed truth.

"You are Orion…"


	13. Chapter 13 Sarah vs the New Beginning

**A/N: **Time to tie up some loose ends, so that the following chapters will be strictly AU with very few, if any, canon references from season 3.

As always, standard disclaimers apply.

* * *

**Sarah vs the New Beginning**

"_You are Orion…"_

An epiphany came to her right after the revelation.

"Daddy, you left to protect us, right?" Sarah still clung onto her father, not willing to let him go, afraid he'd leave again if she did.

"You have no idea how painful it was for me, Angel, but yes. I had to leave in order to keep you and your brother safe," Jack replied, holding his daughter in his arms for the first time in years.

"So, what happens now?" Sarah asked, wiping away her tears.

"I'll have to contact your boss."

"Who, Big Mike?"

"Ha-ha, no, darling, your _other_ boss, General Casey. I need to thank him for looking out for you and tell him some things about the Intersect, Fulcrum and a few more spy stuff. And then we'll see about getting the Intersect out of your pretty head."

"Uh, Mr. Walker, sir? Are you saying you're coming back to work for the Government?"

"First of all, son, call me Jack. And I hope you don't mind if I call you Charlie, Agent Bartowski."

"Um, Jack, actually I prefer 'Chuck'."

"OK Chuck. And thank you. I don't think I'll ever be able to repay you for everything you've done for my baby girl."

"I was just doing my job," Chuck replied awkwardly.

"Right." Jack's tone indicated he knew it was a lot more than just a job for Chuck. "Anyway, I'm not going back to government service. But I could be brought in as an outside contractor when my services are required. I'm mostly packed here, but if you kids could help me finish and load up my truck, we can be on our way to Burbank in a few hours. Now, if you'll excuse me for a moment… And there is coffee and sandwiches in the kitchen. Just help yourselves."

Jack disappeared in one of the rooms. Sarah just stood there, still in a happiness-induced daze. Chuck approached her from behind and locked his arms around her waist. She leaned back into him and closed her eyes as their cheeks touched. He led her to the small kitchen, where she was amazed to find a plate full of sandwiches, made just the way she liked them. It dawned on her that her father knew they'd be coming. She eagerly sank her teeth into one and savored the taste. She urged Chuck to try them and he wasn't disappointed when he did.

They all spent the next few hours packing Jack's stuff and loading it in his van. Sarah rode with her father in the Dodge Ram back to Burbank while Chuck led in his Charger.

They did not immediately go to the apartment. First they had to stop at Castle. Chuck had already called Alex and she was waiting for them at their secret base.

"About time you guys got here," she said. "Sarah, I'm glad you found your Dad."

"Thanks Alex. Chuck brought you up to speed, I suppose."

"That he did. We'll call the General for a briefing, so just take your seats."

"Before we begin, Major Forrest, I'd like to thank you as well for looking after my daughter."

"Just doing my job."

"Funny, that's what your partner said."

"Shall we get the show on the road?"

"By all means, Major Forrest."

The main communications screen came to life.

"Hello again, ladies and gentlemen. Mr. Walker, I presume?" Casey said.

"Yes, General."

"I wish I could be there in person to shake your hand and thank you for all the help you have covertly provided to my Agency and to the CIA. But I guess this will have to do for now. Once again, Mr. Walker, thank you."

"Don't mention it, General. I had to do it. Especially when I learned that my little girl became involved, and I believe now is the time for me to thank you for protecting her all this time."

"You are welcome, Mr. Walker. You are probably already aware of it, but Sarah has given excellent service as the Human Intersect. And we are all in her debt. I hope I'm not too forward in asking you to resume your duties as Orion like before you left government service."

"General, all I want is to make up for lost time with my family, after Fulcrum, which currently poses the most immediate threat, is dealt with. I am honored by your offer, but alas I will have to decline. I will, however, be glad to render assistance as an outside contractor when required."

"You said something about Fulcrum being the most immediate threat. Are you aware of another organization which poses a threat to national security?"

"General, I know you are aware of at least two other such organizations, but I would really not like to discuss it now. Perhaps we need to meet in person to exchange intel. I am willing to fly to DC and arrange a meeting after my son's wedding."

"You got yourself a deal, Mr. Walker."

"Great. As I was saying, Fulcrum can be defeated quickly. They have been dealt heavy blows and it will take just one push to bring them down. Ted Roark, their boss, who also happens to be my conniving old partner in the private sector, is on the run. But they still have the ability to complete their own Intersect, but it will not be as advanced as the one you are currently working on."

"You know about it?"

"Yes, General, I do. Fulcrum's system is still based around the Cipher, which they reverse engineered before sabotaging it. My equivalent component is far superior and designed to be compatible with your new version and provide a few other additional capabilities. It can also be configured to either download data into an agent's brain, or remove an existing Intersect from a person's head."

"You mean you can remove the Intersect from your daughter's head?"

"I can and I will, provided that you grant me access to a full Intersect system."

"Will it sound too callous if I asked you to wait until we take Fulcrum down?"

"General," Sarah interrupted before her father had a chance to answer, "I don't like loose ends. I will remain the Intersect until Fulcrum's downfall. I've got a few scores to settle with them." Sarah was very confident now, knowing that she only had to carry the Intersect in her head for a little while longer before getting rid of it for good.

"I would expect no less from you, Ms. Walker. Thank you. I'm aware of the cost to you, and I will try to make it up to you to the best of my ability."

"Thank you General."

"General," said Jack, "at this point I must inform you that even I have no idea as to the whereabouts of Ted Roark and the rest of Fulcrum's senior leadership. All I have been able to glean from various sources is that they will make a last ditch attempt to reverse their fortunes by uploading several of their agents with their Intersect sometime this week."

"This is indeed worrying, Mr. Walker. Do you have any information to provide so we can combine it with our own intel?"

"All I know is that there has been talk about a place called 'Black Rock', which I have never before heard of. It may well be that only the highest ranking Fulcrum members have knowledge of it," said Jack, but Casey wasn't really paying attention to the last part of the sentence, because he saw Sarah flash.

"Ms. Walker, did you just flash?"

"Yes, I did. Black Rock is a codename for Protocol 7, an ultra secret Fulcrum facility just outside of Barstow. It was in the Fulcrum Intersect test version. I can provide you with the exact coordinates."

"Excellent work, Ms. Walker. We can order an airstrike to take out as many Fulcrum leaders and agents as possible and follow with a ground sweep to mop up."

"Would you prefer a drone strike, General?"

"Why not, Mr. Walker? Good idea." Casey then signed off to arrange for the location Sarah had given them to be placed under observation in preparation for the final takedown.

Alex, Chuck, Sarah and her father then went to the cars to go to Echo Park. Devon and Ellie were already back home from the hospital.

"Chuck, Alex, would you like to come in too? I'd really like to have you with me in there."

"We are with you Sarah," Chuck replied. She opened the door and went in.

"Captain, Ellie, I'm home," she called. Ellie poked her head over the kitchen counter.

"We're in here, Sarah, come in."

"Hey, sis, you didn't tell me where you were going. Were you on a mission?"

"Not really, Devon." She motioned for Jack to enter.

"Dad?" To say Devon was surprised would be the understatement of the year.

"Hello son. And you are definitely Ellie." He moved to the kitchen and embraced the couple.

"Dad, where have you been?" Devon asked. Ellie was still speechless as she hugged her future father-in-law.

"I've been busy."

"Should I tell them? Should Bartowski tell them? Or are you going to tell them, Sarah?"

"No, Alex, I'll have to do it." She turned to Devon and Ellie. "Guys, remember yesterday when I told you about a mystery man codenamed Orion? Well, big brother, Dad is Orion."

"What? Dad created this Intersect?"

"Only the really cool parts of it, my boy."

"Then when you left…"

"I left to protect you. I'm sorry, but there was no other way."

"We'll talk about all this later; you, Sarah and I. Right now, all I want to know is if you can help Sarah get the Intersect out of her head."

"Sure I can. I have made a cool gadget, even if I say so myself, which will do the trick. But she'll have to wait until it's finished."

"OK, enough talking," said Ellie. "Mr. Walker…"

"Jack."

"Excuse me?"

"Call me Jack. I'd really appreciate it."

"Okay, Jack, as I was saying, how about we have some dinner and there will be plenty of time to talk later."

"Sounds like a winner."

The first half of the week was full of preparations to take Fulcrum out of the picture once and for all. Chuck and Sarah also helped Devon and Ellie with their wedding preparations whenever they could spare the time. Fortunately, as Casey had promised, the Black Rock facility, an abandoned drive-in movie theater, was under constant observation by the NSA. When increased activity was noticed, Chuck was ordered to take Sarah to Barstow and see if she could flash on anyone. They set up base in a small, out of the way, but neat motel. They stayed there for two nights. On the second night, as Sarah exited the bathroom after a shower, dressed only in a t-shirt and a pair of cotton panties, Chuck allowed himself to admire her figure. Her perfect body had frequently drawn his stare before, but this time the occasion seemed special for some reason.

Sarah slid under the covers and kissed Chuck lightly before turning the light off. Her eyes were tired from looking at a surveillance monitor for hours on end and she had flashed repeatedly, so he was intent on letting her rest. No hanky-panky that night, no matter how much they both secretly wanted it.

As the first rays of the morning sun shone into the room and played across his face, Chuck woke up. He realized that he and Sarah were spooned together, holding hands, fingers intertwined. He caressed her fingers with his and she responded, without even waking up. When she did, she turned and looked into his eyes. The shared look made talking unnecessary. Their lips crashed together into a passionate kiss, their hands pulling them both closer before moving to explore each other's body. Suddenly, he broke the kiss.

"Stay here," he commanded hoarsely as he got up. "Don't move, don't breathe, don't move!" He went to the bathroom, where he'd left his pants hanging the night before. Taking his wallet from a pocket, he opened it, but, instead of the object he was looking for, he found a neatly folded note. He read it carefully, his expression turning to one of incredulity. 'IOU one condom. Your pal, Morgan' was scrawled on it in Morgan's handwriting. "I'm gonna kill you Morgan," he groaned in frustration as he remembered Morgan mentioning something a couple of days ago at the Buy More about him and Anna having a sex-only, no strings attached fling. He quickly got dressed. Apparently his groan was loud enough for Sarah to hear from inside the room.

"Chuck? Is anything wrong?" Sarah asked.

"I'll be right back", he muttered and tossed Morgan's IOU to her so she could see what the delay was all about. He opened the door and was about to go find a condom vending machine or, failing that, a pharmacy, when he ran into Alex Forrest.

"Bartowski, you're awake. Good. We got work to do. Go to the cars, I brought coffee and croissants. I'll get Walker."

"I heard you Alex, I'm up," Sarah called. Both she and Chuck were _extremely _disappointed. It was as if the whole universe was conspiring to deny them of what was rightfully theirs.

They drove back to LA. Alex briefed them in the motel's parking lot before the trip. The airstrike had been successful, and a few Fulcrum operatives had been taken alive during the ground sweep. Unfortunately, Ted Roark had gotten away. Once back in the city, they went to an office building, which the Intersect recognized as being a secret government facility. Sarah's Dad was waiting for them.

"Hello darling. How was Barstow?"

"It was OK," she shrugged.

"Come on, I got something for you." He led her, Chuck and Alex to a white room with an Intersect terminal in the center. Jack's latest creation, the cube-shaped core was connected and ready.

"Daddy, is that what I think it is?"

"It's time, Angel." They all understood what the last statement meant. Finally Sarah would be relieved of her burden. Jack, Chuck and Alex exited the room, leaving Sarah alone in it. But it didn't feel right to Chuck.

"Jack, I want to be there with her," he said.

"I didn't expect any less of you, son. Here, take these," Jack replied, giving him a pair of dark polarized glasses.

"Thanks." Chuck reentered the room and stood behind Sarah. "I'm with you Sarah, all the way," he told her, taking her hand in his. She squeezed his hand in reply. Then she activated the Intersect. Thousands upon thousands of images filled the walls. They were uncertain of how long the pictures paraded before their eyes, but when it all stopped, Sarah collapsed and Chuck grabbed her. Cradling her in his arms, he went to the door. Alex opened it.

"Is she OK?" she asked, seeing Chuck carry Sarah out.

"She's fine," Jack answered. "She'll come to in a few minutes. Remember, she literally got a brain overwrite."

Less than five minutes later, Sarah stirred and sat up. She rubbed her eyes to clear the cobwebs away and looked at the concerned faces of her father and her partners.

"How are you feeling, Sarah?"

"I… I don't know. I feel, well, lighter, I guess."

"It worked!" Jack enthused.

"You are free, Walk- um, Sarah," added Alex.

Chuck just hugged her and held her close. She responded and clung on to him.

The following day Sarah returned to a different Buy More. The duplicitous Emmett had usurped the manager's position and Big Mike had been demoted to green shirt. All the employees, and especially Morgan, felt guilty for believing Emmett's lies and allowing it to happen. To add insult to what was already a very insulting injury, Emmett kept giving demeaning tasks to Big Mike, in this manner blackmailing Morgan, who had been held in high esteem by his coworkers, into accepting his offer to be the Ass Man. Morgan in turn made it crystal clear that he accepted only because he did not want Emmett to keep mistreating his friends. He even organized an after hours war council out by the loading dock with the others to see what they could do to get rid of Emmett and have Big Mike back return to his managerial position.

The next few days were hectic. Ellie's inherent wedding craziness was causing her to increasingly freak out with every passing day. This in turn meant that Sarah, as the maid of honor, and Chuck, as the best man, had to scramble to make sure everything was OK. And of course, all this did not leave them any time for themselves.

The rehearsal dinner went smoothly, and Sarah had high hopes for what she and Chuck would do afterwards, but she was overcome by worry at one point. She was no longer the Intersect, so the NSA and the CIA had no reason to keep Chuck around for much longer. And she attempted to drown her worries in champagne. It worked, sort of, but she got so hopelessly and thoroughly drunk, so well and truly smashed, that Chuck had to carry her to the car and then to her bed. One more lost opportunity for them. Not to mention a monumental hangover, rivaling the one which resulted from her uploading the Intersect for the first time and the one she'd gotten from that memorable girls only weekend with Alex, Carina and Jill. At least she did not end up with a tattoo this time.

She took some aspirin and then she and Alex drove down to the Buy More and handed Emmett their resignations, effective immediately. He tried to dissuade them, having already lost his Ass Man and a Nerd Herder when Morgan and Anna had quit the day before, but they did not budge.

Alex would rejoin her special ops unit and ship out to Afghanistan. She shared one last hug with Sarah, before giving her an envelope. It contained a check for a very substantial amount of money; Sarah's payment for her two years of loyal service. Alex also gave her friend a card with her private number on it with instructions to call only in the direst of dire emergencies. She mentioned something about Sarah's fingers better being on fire when she'd dial the number. When she got back home and told her brother and Ellie she had finally quit the Buy More, they were both enthusiastic. Now, Sarah Lisa Walker, Stanford graduate, would be free to pursue a career on a par with her talents.

On the day of the wedding, Sarah went to double check if everything was okay at the location. Imagine her horror when she saw none other than Ted Roark sneak in. And he was not alone. He must have somehow learned that some of the people responsible for his woes would be there later and he was planning to exact revenge. She did not hesitate. She called Jill, who was in town to get uploaded with the Intersect, Chuck, who was busy sorting out the mess after Awesome's bachelor party, Carina, who'd taken care of Ellie's bachelorette party and, after only a moment's hesitation, Alex. The latter was on a C-130J flying over the Pacific towards Diego Garcia and did not hear her phone ringing, but Sarah left her a voicemail anyway. She checked the time. Still a few hours to go before the wedding; then she remembered her father would be coming by to check on some things. She saw him getting off a bus and quickly intercepted him. In the safety of her borrowed car she briefed him on the latest events. They agreed to wait for backup.

Chaos ensued. Roark had far more men than they originally thought. They were almost out of ammo when Alex and her Delta Force team parachuted on the roof and rappelled through the huge glass skylights to join the fray below. It was over in a minute. Alex pushed her ballistic goggles on her helmet and surveyed the carnage with a satisfied smile on her face, her HK 416 carbine resting on her shoulder.

"You rang," she told Sarah. Of course she could not avoid the hugs, the handshakes and the back-clapping. In addition Jack had caught Roark trying to sneak out the back and knocked him out with a right cross to the jaw. Something he'd been wanting to do for twenty years.

The hard part was telling Ellie about the destruction wrought to the wedding site she'd picked. She was devastated, Devon looked sad, but Sarah knew how to make it up to the couple. She took out her paycheck and roped Chuck and Alex into helping her plan and execute the perfect beach wedding, just like Elie had always wanted it. And there she stood with the other bridesmaids, while Chuck stood with Ellie's brothers as Devon and Ellie exchanged their vows before the Justice of the Peace.

The obligatory photos taken, the wedding party went to the apartment complex where the reception would take place. Sarah and Chuck danced together, lovingly holding on to each other. At one point, Ellie ran into Jill who was enjoying a glass of champagne and talking to Jack in a quiet corner of the courtyard. Seeing her sister-in-law's old nemesis, Ellie raised her hand to strike. Jill did nothing to avoid it, if anything she appeared to accept it as just punishment. The blow never landed; instead Ellie lowered her hand, grabbed Jill's face with both hands and gave her a Michael Corleone kiss.

"I know it was you Jill. You broke Sarah's heart. You broke Sarah's heart," she said, paraphrasing the Godfather. And, incredibly, she smiled warmly. "But your actions caused her to meet Chuck, so I cannot really hold a grudge against you. More champagne?"

"Uh, well, yes please. And thank you Ellie. Look at them," she pointed at Chuck and Sarah. "Aren't they great together?"

"They are."

Chuck and Sarah were still dancing a few minutes later.

"So what happens now Chuck?"

"We'll close up shop here and there is talk about me being reassigned to work on the new Intersect project with Jill."

"That's where you belong, Chuck; out there, saving the world. I'm just not cut out for all this. I'm not that girl."

"Sarah, how many times do you have to save the day, to be a hero, to realize you really are that girl?"

"Chuck, I want more, I want a life, a real life."

"Sarah, the truth is I don't want to save the world. I-"

"Chuck, Sarah! Some guy just picked Jill up, but he's not CIA. In fact, he's supposed to be dead!"

"Dad, how do you know all this?"

"I, uh, oh fuck it! Sarah, I have an Intersect in my head. I tested an early version on myself. I was young and stupid back then, but the intel is good. That man was not CIA!"

"Oh, crap! They are going to kill Jill and upload their team with the new Intersect instead! Chuck, we gotta stop them!"

"And if they know about Jill, they sure know about Alex. Sarah, I'm going back to Castle." He took off running towards the parking lot. Sarah hesitated for a second, but started going after him. Her father stopped her.

"Let it go, Angel. You've done your part."

"Dad, I have to go!"

"No, Sarah, you don't. You are not a spy."

"Dad," she countered, "I love him!"

"All right," he relented, "I cannot follow you, but you'll need this." He gave her his wrist computer.

"Thanks dad." She sneaked into her room to change and then dashed to the parking lot. Her father's Porsche 911 Boxster was there parked next to his Ram. She got in and sped towards the Buy More plaza.

At the SD&M she found Chuck and Alex getting out with their guns ready. She learned that one of Alex's team was a traitor and not only had he murdered Roark in his holding cell, but he also killed three Delta operators in cold blood.

When Chuck asked her what she was doing there, she showed them her father's computer and replied "This is the Intersect we are talking about and I am a Walker. You need me!"

At the government building they found the Intersect floor choc-a-bloc with enemy agents and the door to the terminal room locked from the inside. A furious firefight ensued and Sarah was sent to get help. She was on her way when she had a flash of inspiration. Accessing the building schematics on her computer, she went in the ventilation shafts and dropped inside the Intersect room. She gasped when she saw Jill sitting on the floor, her hand on a bloody shoulder.

"Jill! Are you all right? You've been shot!"

"No shit. It's the third time I've been shot in almost the same place. It's really annoying. At least it wasn't Forrest who shot me this time."

"Looks bad."

"Nah, it's just a flesh wound. But it hurts like a son-of-a-bitch. I can't move my arm. Help me up, will you?"

"OK," Sarah said and carefully lifted Jill to her feet.

"He wasn't coming, you know."

"What?"

"Nothing, I'm just babbling. It's the blood loss. Listen, Sarah, in my left pocket, I have a small electronic device."

"Got it!"

"Use it. Destroy the Intersect. Don't let it fall into their hands."

"Jill, you need the Intersect to finish Fulcrum off."

"Fulcrum is toast. But it's only a part of the Ring. Destroy it, now!"

Sarah hesitated as she held the self destruct device near the slot on the terminal. She never saw herself as heroic, but everybody else seemed to disagree. Even Jill, who had believed Sarah would not be able to survive in the spy world, had been impressed by her exploits. She made her decision. She activated the Intersect just after shielding Jill's eyes with the polarized protective glasses. When the upload was complete, she felt a weakness and dropped to her knees, but did not pass out this time.

"Damn, it feels like a Quickening from Highlander," she said. Jill laughed and then lightly punched Sarah.

"Don't make me laugh, Sarah, it hurts."

"OK, OK, I'm sorry. But we are nerds, we can't help it," she said and inserted the circuit board in the slot. The system overloaded and was literally fried.

The door opened and the surviving enemy agents entered, pushing Chuck and Alex inside as well. Chuck ran over to Jill.

"You okay?"

"I'll be fine Chuck."

"What did you do?" The traitor's question was directed to Sarah.

"I destroyed it."

"You lose," Alex taunted him.

"For that, you'll die last," he told Sarah and went to the terminal where he saw it was indeed destroyed. Furious, he aimed his gun at Chuck. Sarah saw it and flashed; only it was not the usual flash, the kind she'd grown accustomed to.

"Sarah? Did you just flash?" Chuck asked.

"She uploaded it," the traitor concluded.

"Oh, chuck me," muttered Alex.

"Kill her."

Before his henchmen had a chance to obey, Sarah became a blur. Punches and kicks shot out and very soon she had all the enemy operatives down on the floor, beaten to unconsciousness. Looking at her own hands in amazement, she turned to her friends.

"Guys, I know Kung-Fu…"

-0-

They had first taken Jill to the hospital and then returned to Castle to give their report to Casey. The General was shocked to learn how deep the Ring, as Jill had identified the mystery assailants' parent organization, had infiltrated the CIA, but congratulated them for their quick actions which kept the Intersect 2.0 out of enemy hands. When they told him that Sarah had uploaded it he jumped noticeably and when he recovered from the surprise he asked her if she knew what this meant. She replied that she did.

They were all tired when they got back home. Sarah was sore all over. Captain Awesome had been always pushing her to keep in shape and she exercised as much as she could, but the sudden Intersect 2.0 induced Kung-Fu outburst was a little too much for her body. She pulled on her sleepwear and sprawled on her bed. Chuck, realizing how she was feeling, started giving her a relaxing massage. He worked her upper arms, shoulders, back, waist and thighs; he could tell it was helping relieve the soreness. Her low moans as one sore spot after another was dealt with were proof of that. When he finished she tried to get up.

"Sarah, don't get up yet, we need to talk."

"Sure, what do you want to talk about?" Sarah asked, turning to face him.

"I have some things I need to tell you, about us. And I've been putting it off for far too long."

"Chuck, are you having second thoughts?" Sarah began to worry that he would break up with her before they even got their relationship on track.

"No, I'd never do such a thing to you. But I really need to clear the air."

"Go on," she encouraged him.

"Sarah, I've been with the CIA for quite a while now. And the first thing I learned when I was training to become an agent was to suppress my emotions. 'Feelings will get you killed' they told us. It's not easy overcoming this kind of conditioning. Sarah, I've done things I'm not proud of, horrible things, but I did them to serve something bigger than myself and it was a choice I consciously made. Until you came along. Damn, I'm jumping from one subject to another and I think I'm not helping you understand all the things I have to tell you."

"No, it makes sense. Please, continue."

"Anyway, all those times I broke your heart, every time I hurt your feelings by denying the possibility of any attachment other than work between us, it was all a byproduct of my life as an agent. Believe me, it hurt me as much as it did you, but at the time I felt I had no choice. The mission always came first. I could not convince myself we could have a future together, and I was afraid they'd reassign me, if they found out just how compromised I'd been. I must have been a really big coward… You and Ellie getting confirmation of my feelings for you from Alex… It took a weight off of me, but it would have been better if I had been brave enough to admit the truth myself."

"Chuck, it doesn't matter. It doesn't matter at all. It's all history now. The important thing is that we both know we want to be together and we are willing to give it our best shot. And it will work. Chuck, I love you. I love you with all my heart, I always have, almost from the moment I met you. You may have seen me as a mark at first, but ever since you walked into the Buy More on that first day I somehow knew you were the one. But you were giving me so many mixed signals that there were times I almost wished you'd thrown me in a bunker."

"I know, and, again, I'm so sorry. But now I think it's time to get it all out of my chest. Sarah, I fell for you a long, long time ago; after you fixed my phone and before you started defusing bombs with computer viruses. So, yes, Sarah, I love you. Wow, I can't believe I finally said it. After all this time I spent trying to deny it to everyone, including myself, to bury it deep down, because I was afraid of just being Chuck Bartowski again, without the 'Agent' part, because I was afraid I would not be able to reconcile feelings and work. I love you. I love you more than words could ever describe. And like you said, we will make it work. One more time for good measure, I love you, Sarah Walker. I always have."

"Chuck?"

"Yes?"

"Shut up and kiss me."

The kiss was slow at first, as they tasted each other's lips. Then their mouths opened and their tongues engaged in a spirited duel. The passion and desire finally spilled over the dam and this time it would not be contained. Almost before they realized what they were doing their clothes were strewn all over the room and their two bodies were trying to become one.

Two hours later they lay in bed, spent but fully sated. Sarah eventually got up to get them some water. They definitely needed it after all this 'activity'. She soon returned and offered Chuck a big bottle, while she greedily drank from another. She let her short silk kimono slide off her shoulders, snuggled up to him again and looked into his eyes.

"Chuck, can I ask you something?"

"Yes. Anything you want."

"You never said anything about me uploading the Intersect 2.0 tonight."

"I didn't forget about it, if that's what you're asking. But since you mention it… At first I was mad at you, but I don't think I am now, not any more. I could not, and still can't, fully understand why, after spending two years trying to get the original Intersect out of your head, you'd upload the new one of your own free will. You had a chance at living a normal life and you willingly took the other option."

"Chuck, I did it for all of us; for Awesome, Ellie, Morgan, Jill, Alex, you and for all of my family and friends. I did it because you, during all the time we spent together, made me realize that I actually had potential. And I would be remiss if I did not use it for the greater good. Okay, maybe I was a bit selfish too. I wanted to keep you here. Otherwise, they might have sent you away on a new assignment and, despite of how much we love each other, I'm not sure we could make a long-distance relationship work. Plus, the Intersect is my Dad's work of a lifetime. I could not destroy it without preserving it first. I'm not making sense now, am I?"

"Sarah, I wouldn't have gone anywhere."

"What?"

"I wanted to stay here and be with you. I did not accept the offer to work on the new project with Jill. She understood, and-"

"So that's what she'd been trying to tell me in there! That's what you were about to tell me before my Dad interrupted you! Oh boy, I screwed up big time, didn't I? You were willing to give up your life as a spy and become a normal guy just to live with me? Chuck, I'm really sorry for that."

"Sarah, if anything, I'm proud of you. It'll take some time to get used to you being the Intersect again, but I will never think any less of you. Besides, had you not uploaded it, we'd all be dead by now."

"So, now what?"

"You'll have to become a spy, Sarah. After all, you chose it. But I'll be with you every step of the way. But I'd rather have this discussion later, much, much later."

"Does this mean you are ready for round four, Agent Bartowski?"

"Do your worst, Agent Walker."

"Agent Walker… I think I'll get used to it. You can also call me Agent Carmichael," she said and kissed him as she rolled on top and straddled him.

"I should have said 'Agent Candidate Walker', come to think of it," he said, breaking the kiss.

"Chuck?"

"Hmmm?"

"Shut up," she said, grinning mischievously before coming on to him to continue from where they'd left off.


	14. Chapter 14 Sarah vs the First Fight

**A/N: **Just decided to try my hand at a fluffier than usual chapter. Hope you enjoy it.

Disclaimers are the same as usual.

* * *

**Sarah vs the First Fight**

"I WAS MADE FOR LOVING YOU BABY; YOU WERE MADE FOR LOVING MEEEEE… AND I CAN'T GET ENOUGH OF YOU BABY; CAN YOU GET ENOUGH OF MEEEEEEEEEE?" Sarah's singing in the shower could clearly be heard in her room where Chuck had just finished getting dressed. She had a good voice, but when she sang so loudly, she inevitably drifted off-key, way off-key. She had allowed him to shower first and now he had some business to attend to; he needed to know if Alex had left the surveillance off last night. She would otherwise find herself watching a porn marathon when she reviewed the tapes, unless he did something about it. He let himself out the Morgan Door and into the courtyard as she was entering the complex with Morgan.

"Forrest, Morgan, good morning."

"Good morning Bartowski."

"Hey dude, good morning!"

"Where have you guys been?"

"I was at the hospital, debriefing Roberts. Then I got Grimes to help me with some things I needed to do in Castle."

"I should take Sarah and go check up on Jill. How is she doing?"

"She'll be fine, but she'll have to go on extended medical leave. Her shoulder was pretty fucked up, but the surgeons did a good job repairing the damage. A few months of PT and she'll be cleared for field duty again."

"Glad to hear it. I'll give Sarah the good news later. Right now, Alex, I have a question for you."

"Shoot."

"Did you by any chance leave the surveillance on last night?"

"I left it on auto."

"What do you mean?"

"Right, I forgot to tell you about it. About a month ago, I installed a system upgrade. Motion and heat sensors in Walker's room trigger the cameras and the bugs. Why?"

"I was hoping you'd have turned the whole system off."

"No can do, Bartowski. Not since your girlfriend uploaded the 2.0."

"In that case, I'll have to ask you to give me the DVDs from around 0100 hours to this morning."

"Chuck, you stud you!" Morgan enthusiastically pounded Chuck on the back.

"Hey, easy there Morgan."

"Is it true, Bartowski?"

"A gentleman doesn't kiss and tell."

"C'mon, Bartowski, admit it, you got laid, it's written all over you. Congratulations, by the way. And yes, I'll give you the damn tapes."

"Hey guys, what's up?" Sarah asked from the Morgan Door. She had heard voices from the courtyard as she got out of the shower and decided to put on her black bathrobe and go see what was going on.

"Lady Walker, you finally lured Bartowski to the Dark Side," Alex teased.

"Alex, did you just Star Wars us? I'm shocked!"

"Hey there Darth Walker! So you sealed the deal with our boy here, huh?"

"Morgan! It's personal, you know," she said blushing.

"Not if your extracurricular activities from last night end up all over porn sites."

"You wouldn't do that, Alex. It would be unprofessional."

"You didn't take the bait this time Walker. Getting laid definitely did you good."

"Guys, can you at least fake some sense of decorum?" Sarah asked in exasperation.

"OK, sorry about that, Walker."

"Apology accepted. I guess you and your Army buddies bragged about sexual conquests all the time, right?"

"It was one of the favorite discussion topics along with sports," Alex shrugged. "In the meantime, I strongly suggest you take the time to study this," she said and tossed a thick book to Sarah.

"The Intersect 2.0 user manual? Are you kidding me? There is a manual for that?"

"Apparently there is. Roberts had it in her car and asked me to give it to you."

"Speaking of Jill, how is she?"

"She's doing fine. Bartowski said he'll take you to see her later."

"Great, I really want to see her. Should I bring a sharpie along?"

"What?"

"Does she have a cast on or not?"

"Yes, sort of, it's one of those immobilizing braces, not exactly a cast."

"OK I get it, no sharpie."

Back inside her room, Sarah sat down to give the manual a quick look.

"Hey, sweetheart," said Chuck, coming up behind her and kissing her neck.

"Chuck, I'm trying to work here!"

"The honeymoon is over already, Agent Carmichael?"

"No, it's not. And this thing is far more complicated than the previous one. I mean, look at all this! It even has cocktail recipes and bartender moves included," she said, looking at him. "What?" Sarah asked, noticing his thoughtful expression.

"Does it include the Kama Sutra as well?"

"I'll check. Give me a minute."

"Does this mean it was all you last night? Without any useful pointers from… _it_?" Chuck asked, tapping Sarah's head playfully.

"It was all me. A really long dry spell tends to do that to a person's sexual appetite. Well, there is no 'Seduction and Sex' chapter."

"What? Hmm, try looking under 'Infiltration and Inducement of Enemy Personnel'," he said.

"Found it! No kinky sex hints, but it does have exotic dancing included, with subsections for pole dancing and lap dancing."

"You can't be serious. Let me see," he said, taking the manual. "Well, fuck me…"

"I'd love to, but we gotta go see Jill. Raincheck?"

"OK."

"If you behave, I'll give you a lap dance later," she said seductively and had him swallowing hard.

As she was getting dressed, Sarah's phone rang.

"Hey big brother," she said cheerfully as she answered it.

"How are you doing sis?"

"Just fine. How is your honeymoon?"

"A bit short for our taste, but we manage," Devon replied. Sarah could hear Ellie giggling in the background.

"Good for you. Just keep having a great time bro. Don't worry about me, I have Chuck to take care of me."

"Sounds like you two are official at last," he said, realizing what his sister meant.

"Yes, we are!"

"You don't know how happy I am to hear this, Sarah." The confirmation had Ellie squealing in delight.

"See you when you get back. Gotta go now, Captain."

"Sure. Take care, sis."

"You know you'll eventually have to tell them you uploaded the new Intersect." Chuck said after she hung up.

"I know. Better to let them enjoy their honeymoon first."

The drive to the hospital was really pleasant. Even the atrocious traffic did not dampen their spirits. In fact, it gave them more time to talk and just enjoy being together. They made a quick stop to pick up some flowers for Jill. Sarah asked Chuck if cherry pie was still their friend's favorite snack. It was, so they made another stop at a patisserie before finally getting to the hospital.

They were heading for Jill's room when they heard her voice coming from behind them. Jill had been taking a walk in the corridor when she saw them.

"Chuck, Sarah!"

"Jill, hi. How are you doing?" Sarah asked, carefully embracing her friend.

"I'm doing great, thank you," she replied and then it was Chuck's turn to hug her.

"We brought you something," he said.

"My favorite flowers, thanks guys. Come on, we'll be more comfortable in my room."

"We also got you some cherry pie."

"For that I'll be eternally grateful to both of you. Hospital food is really yucky."

"And you haven't been here for a full day yet. Same old Jill."

"What do you mean, Sarah?" Chuck asked.

"On our second year in college, Jill had to have surgery due to acute appendicitis. She was acting like a caged animal until they let her go home."

"Is that true, Jill?"

"Yes, it is. And the most infuriating thing, then and now, is that there are no good looking orderlies around for me to prey on," she laughed. "And the nurses here are a bunch of sadistic bitches from Hell."

"Chuck, what lie did we spin for Jill having been shot when we brought her here?"

"We told the hospital staff she's a Fed, which, technically, is not a lie. We were just vague as to her exact agency affiliations."

"Give me a few minutes and from now on they'll treat her like a queen until she's discharged," Sarah said and left the room.

"Where is she going Chuck?" Jill asked, curious.

"I think have an idea. But then again, Sarah is full of surprises."

"You think she knows people here?"

"Of course she does. Remember, Awesome and Ellie work here. All she has to do is say you are a friend of the family and you'll be waited on hand and foot."

"Done!" Sarah said when she returned a few minutes later.

"Thanks Sarah."

"You are welcome Jill. It's the least I can do for you."

"Sarah?"

"Yes?"

"About yesterday, no, not just about yesterday, but about the Intersect in general… your dad knew I was trying to protect you in Stanford. I was the only spy he felt he could trust. He's a great man, a hero. And he wants to be a part of your life again. Don't shut him out, Sarah."

"I won't. He's my dad and I always wanted him back."

"Just make sure you tell him."

"She already did, Jill. You should have seen her when they met," said Chuck quietly.

"Good to know. Anyway, Sarah, your sister-in-law is quite a handful. When she saw me at the reception after the wedding she was ready to kick my ass. But she didn't. Instead she told me that, since you two met because of me, she could not hold anything against me." Jill stopped talking and tried to slide her fingers under the shoulder brace.

"Jill, what are you doing?"

"Remember when I told you it hurt?"

"Yes…"

"Well, it itches now and it's far worse than pain."

"Don't touch it. You may pull your stitches and, trust me, you don't want to do that."

"I have to do something about it!"

"Chuck?"

"Yes, Sarah?"

"Find the nearest computer store and buy a large compressed air bottle; you know, the kind used for cleaning keyboards and cases."

"What are you going to do with it?"

"Me? Nothing. Jill is. When a kid in our neighborhood had broken an arm, Awesome suggested using compressed air to relieve the itching under the cast and it worked. It also has a nice cooling effect. Just make sure you get one with the nozzle extension pipe."

"Good thinking there, Sarah. I'll be back," he said and left. Jill looked admiringly at her friend.

"What will happen to you now, Sarah?" Jill asked when they were alone.

"I will have to undergo some training to become a full-fledged agent."

"You volunteered for this?"

"Yeah. I know, it's weird, you getting me kicked out of Stanford to spare me this life and here I am, embracing it willingly…"

"Sarah, don't let them change you."

"I'm already changing, Jill. I want to do more in my life and now I have the chance."

"Just don't let them turn you into us."

"Us? What do you mean 'us'?"

"Me, Forrest, even Chuck; we have all done things we are not proud of…"

"I know what you are going to say, Jill, and I promise you, no matter what happens, I'll always be the Sarah Walker you met back in Stanford. I already made the same promise to Chuck."

Jill was skeptical, but did not say anything; she knew the spy world could change even the best-meaning individual. But her friend was unique. Two years of being in that world had not robbed her of her innocence and faith in people, even though she had been just an asset and now she would become an agent. There was a big difference, but if anyone could come through it without sacrificing their real self, it was Sarah.

"So, I guess they'll send you to the academy now," she finally said.

"Not really. General Casey seems to think it might be wiser to let Chuck and Alex train me on the basics and let the Intersect do the rest once I fully learn how to use it."

"Sounds like a plan. The fewer people you come in contact with, the fewer the chances of your secret being compromised."

"That's what the General said."

"He's a smart man; a hardass too, but a very honorable hardass. Sometimes I think such men, men like Casey or Chuck, have no place in this business. They are too moral for their own good."

"I know. But that's what makes them better at it."

"I never thought of it that way, but I think you're right." Before Jill had a chance to say anything else, a nurse came in to announce that Jill would have to take her medication. Chuck came in a few minutes later with the compressed air bottle. Sarah had been right – again. It 'scratched' Jill's itching shoulder very effectively.

They stayed with Jill for a couple more hours before they had to go to Castle for a videoconference with General Casey regarding the training program for Sarah. While on the way, she turned on the radio. The voice of Alice Cooper blared out of the speakers.

_Yeah, we're gonna fight_

_We do it every night_

_Baby, when you scratch_

_You know I'm gonna bite_

_You can make me die_

_I can make you cry_

_Opposites attract_

_That's the reason why_

_No one else could make you feel_

_Like I do, I do, I do_

_No one ever gets as deep inside you_

_As I do, baby_

_Our love is a bed of nails_

_Love hurts good on a bed of nails_

_I'll lay you down and when all else fails_

_I'll drive you like a hammer on a bed of nails_

_First we're gonna kiss_

_Then we're gonna say_

_Dirty little words_

_Only lovers say_

_Rockin' thru the night_

_Rollin' on the floor_

_When they hear us screamin'_

_They'll be breakin' down the door_

_No one else could make you feel_

_Like I do, I do, I do_

_No one ever gets as deep inside you_

_As I do, baby_

_Our love is a bed of nails_

_Love hurts good on a bed of nails_

_I'll lay you down and when all else fails_

_I'll drive you like a hammer on a bed of nails_

_Bed of nails, bed of nails_

_I'll drive you like a hammer on a bed of nails_

_Ow, ow_

_Ow, ow, ow_

_Gonna drive you like a hammer_

_Baby, put me in your slammer, oh yeah_

_No one else could make you feel_

_Like I do, I do, I do_

_No one ever gets as deep inside you_

_As I do, baby_

_Our love is a bed of nails_

_Love hurts good on a bed of nails_

_I'll lay you down and when all else fails_

_I'll drive you like a hammer on a bed of nails_

_Our love is a bed of nails_

_Love hurts good on a bed of nails_

_I'll lay you down and when all else fails_

_I'll drive you like a hammer on a bed of nails_

"You know Chuck, this song has me thinking."

"About what?"

"Even though we did it only yesterday, well, today technically, we've been a real couple for almost a week and a half now, right?"

"Yeah," he said suspiciously.

"We haven't yet had a fight."

"We've had plenty of fights in the past."

"We were a pretend couple back then so it doesn't count!"

"Let me get this straight; you want us to have a fight?"

"Did I specifically say I do?"

"You sound like you mean it."

"Well, I don't!"

"Then why bring it up?"

"Because!"

"Women," he huffed.

"Like you men are better! Normal couples have fights, Chuck. You need to realize that! It's inevitable! It's a law of nature!"

"They do, but they don't start fighting just for the heck of it! There has to be a reason for a fight!"

"You want a reason? Great! I'll find a reason for you!"

"Uh, Sarah?" Chuck now sounded calm as he addressed her.

"WHAT?"

"You realize we just had our first real fight as a real couple, albeit for reasons I cannot yet fathom?"

"Huh? Oh my… we really did!" She started laughing

"Another important milestone in our relationship reached." He was laughing too now.

"When is the briefing with Casey?"

"In an hour."

"Then step on it. I want make up sex. No, not just sex, I want make up _lovemaking_."

"I love you Sarah."

"Love you too, Chuck. In a detention cell then?"

"I was thinking about the guest quarters, but if you want kinkier stuff…"

"No, a girl must have her comfort. The guest quarters it is."

Later, Chuck and Sarah were talking to Casey over the video link. The General had just finished outlining a training plan for Sarah which his experts had put together. Chuck had agreed it was the best thing, considering the circumstances.

"And this concludes the business for the day. I trust you will brief Major Forrest on the specifics. Is there anything you want to add?"

"Yes General," said Sarah, "in the spirit of full disclosure, I feel we must inform you…" She took Chuck's hand in hers.

"Stop! I don't want to know. Release Agent Bartowski now!" Casey said and Sarah let go of Chuck.

"Sir," he said, "Sarah and I are dating." Casey let out an exasperated grunt. "Exclusively," continued Chuck. Casey scowled.

"I must caution you," he said sternly, "that allowing your personal life to interfere with your professional one can be dangerous. But off the record, it was about damn time." He grunted again, this time a satisfied and amused grunt.

"Thank you sir. There is one more thing; Sarah and Major Forrest need new cover jobs. As you know, they both quit the Buy More."

"The easiest thing would be to have them return to the Buy More, Agent Bartowski."

"The easiest, yes, but not exactly the best, sir, considering who is managing the place now."

"I see your point. What do you suggest then?"

"A period of job hunting would not seem unreasonable sir. After that, we may be able to figure something out. At worst, the NSA could arrange for Mr. Milbarge to be transferred out of the Burbank Buy More and Mr. Tucker to assume the manager's position again. With Mr. Grimes as Assistant Manager, things will be easier for Sarah. She will be able to get out for missions and training sessions and she'll have someone to cover for her."

"Duly noted, Agent Bartowski. I'll contact you again when I have news on the subject."

"Thank you sir," Sarah and Chuck chorused. The call was terminated.

"Well, Sarah, would you like to come upstairs with me to talk? I also have to give the impression the store is open for business."

"Sure. Would you like lunch from the Wienerlicious too?"

"Great idea, Sarah."

"I'm buying."

"No, you are not!"

"Do you want another fight?"

"Not now, thank you."

"Then I'm buying," she said and left before he had a chance to answer.

After lunch she just sat in the store, watching Chuck help the customers who started coming in. It was amusing how a cover arrangement, in this case a store, was actually turning a profit. At one point she frowned as she saw one particular person approaching. Chuck was busy stocking a shelf and did not notice, but Sarah would not let the opportunity of marking her turf pass. She grabbed her boyfriend, pinned him against the counter and planted one right on him as the door opened. She kept kissing him as the person entered the store and approached the counter. The woman cleared her throat, somewhat embarrassed.

"Hi, is this a bad time Chuck?" She was actually blushing.

"Oh, hi Hannah. No, it's okay. What do you have for me there?" He missed the particularly feminine and very meaningful exchange of looks between Sarah and Hannah.

"I just brought in some serviced items that were under warranty. You can call your customers to pick them up," she said, putting a big box on the counter.

"Thank you," he said smiling. In another display of possessiveness, Sarah wiped her lipstick off of Chuck's lips with a tissue. He signed for the delivery and he and Hannah wished each other a good day.

"That'll teach her not to go after another gal's man," Sarah said with a satisfied smile once Hannah was out of the store.

"Huh? That was what you were doing? Marking your territory?"

"You are mine, Chuck Bartowski. You know it and you like it that way. I was just letting that brunette skank know as well, in no uncertain terms."

"I like it when you get jealous, Sarah. It's, well, sweet."

"It was nicer than going Intersect 2.0 on her. And I am NOT jealous."

"I think I should get your Dad to remove this one from your head too," he joked.

"You wouldn't."

"Why are you so sure?"

"Because me getting to become an agent like you turns you on."

"You are evil."

"I try." She kissed him again, just to shut him up. Not that they didn't enjoy it too.

At closing time, Chuck locked up and took her downstairs to Castle to begin a training session. He wanted to start with something familiar to her, so he had her do some practice with her Smith & Wesson 5906 at the shooting gallery. She quickly went through five bullseye targets, before he put up some human outline targets for her.

"You did great so far, Sarah."

"Thank you Chuck. All the video game practice paid off."

"You didn't use the Intersect?"

"I didn't have to. You know I'm a good shot without it."

"I know, but I want you to try using it now."

"The manual said I can call up the skills provided as required. I'll give it a try." She focused and felt the rush of a skills flash. "OK, I'm ready."

"Fire!"

She raised the gun and opened fire. When she emptied the mag, she mechanically went through the motions of clearing the weapon before she went downrange with Chuck to check her score. The targets' torsos and heads were untouched. Instead, the bullets had hit the limbs, mostly in the knees, shoulders and elbows.

"No kill shots, but otherwise you didn't miss once."

"You know I can't kill anyone Chuck."

"Yeah… but it's most impressive, channeling the Intersect like this for non lethal shots."

"Is that a compliment?"

"Yes, but don't get cocky yet, Agent Candidate Walker."

"Yes sir, whatever you say Agent Bartowski, sir!" They both laughed. Training should progress smoothly. Especially considering the handsome and very pleasurable rewards for success which would be awaiting her after the training sessions.

He kept her practicing at the range with a variety of weapons, observing her flashes when she needed to familiarize herself with a new weapon in a hurry and noted with satisfaction that the skills flashes had no adverse aftereffects. In short, they worked as advertised.

"OK, Sarah, that's enough weapons practice for today. We'll continue tomorrow with self defense class."

"That's great!"

"Now get started on cleaning the guns. I expect the gun rack stowed and ready for inspection in an hour."

"Will do."

"I'll be back to check."

He was as good as his word, but by then Sarah had everything squared away. He voiced his satisfaction with her performance and took her to the electronics workshop area.

"Chuck, what are we doing here?"

"Bomb disposal lesson #1."

"What am I supposed to do?"

"I made this for you; a simulated computer controlled bomb. Defuse it."

She examined it and flashed on the required skill. Chuck had rigged it in such a way that defusing it in a conventional manner would take far too long, even with the Intersect. She clearly needed to think outside the box on this one. She smiled and rummaged through a shelf of equipment.

"What are you doing there?"

"You rigged it well, Chuck. I flashed on it and even this way it's gonna take too long to bypass all the anti-handling features."

"You get points for identifying the device and the booby traps. But you still have to do something to disarm it."

"Got it right here."

"What's that?"

"It's a thumb drive, Chuck."

"I can see it's a thumb drive. What's in it?"

"A modified Demova virus," she said, smiling wickedly.

"Come again?"

"The virus I used to disable the bomb at the conference center on our first 'date' remember? This one has a few enhancements of my own as well."

"Let me guess; from the Walker Special?"

"It's practically guaranteed to fry any computer system, regardless of firewall, antivirus and other security software."

"I believe you. The simulation is over. I wouldn't want you to fry expensive government owned hardware."

"Does this mean I passed?"

"With flying colors, Sarah. Your nerd smarts and the Intersect are a kickass combination."

"Thank you Chuck!"

"You are welcome. Come on, I'll take you home and then I'll go to my place. Make sure you get some rest. Tomorrow you and Alex will start on your self defense training."

"Finally, I'll get some payback."

"Just don't hurt her much."

"Her pride will be hurt more."

"I like your thinking, my little kickass ninja spy girl."

The last compliment caused her to kiss him again.

"Race you home," she said.

"With what? Even the Intersect can't give you super speed."

"No, but I have Dad's Porsche parked outside. I had borrowed it yesterday and left it here when we went downtown."

"Are you sure you're up to it?"

"I already flashed on street racing and police driving techniques."

"OK. There is not much traffic at this hour anyway."

The drive was thrilling to say the least. Chuck's experience and the Charger's raw power were balanced by Sarah's Intersect skills and the high-tech features of her Porsche. They arrived at the apartment complex bumper to bumper, Chuck having yielded to avoid another car just before the final turn.

"That was some driving Sarah. Good job."

"Thanks Chuck. Say, do you want to come in?"

"Not tonight. I want to go to my place and enjoy a drink before doing some paperwork."

"You can do all that here."

"With you around? I pretty much doubt it."

"Aw, c'mon Chuck, I won't bite. Unless you want me to."

"See? You are already starting to-"

"Shhhh. I won't bother you while you work, but I don't want to be alone tonight."

"I guess I can both work and keep you company."

The following day Sarah woke up first and made breakfast for both herself and Chuck. She decided to 'let' him clean up in the kitchen, considering the mess she'd made while working on the pancake mix, trying – and succeeding – to get it just right. She also called Jill, who confirmed she was now getting the royal treatment at Westside Medical. Seeing Alex open her bedroom window, she called out to her and invited her over for breakfast. Alex teased her about her cooking, but Sarah already had her revenge planned. The three partners had a pleasant meal and then drove together to Castle. Chuck would work in his store and keep an eye out, while Alex would train Sarah downstairs.

In the dojo, the women changed into workout clothes and did some warm-up exercises. Alex then had Sarah test several hand to hand combat techniques on a punching bag. Satisfied that Sarah was flashing on whatever skill was required, Alex donned protective gear and told Sarah to do the same. They engaged in a few rounds of boxing. They were pretty much equal, Sarah's newfound skill standing her in good stead against Alex's experience. A short break later, Alex decided to test her friend further and they picked up a bo staff each. Sarah promptly flashed on its use, bowed formally to her instructor and they started sparring. Sarah was somewhat reserved, quite an opposite to the aggressive Alex.

"You disappoint me, my young apprentice," Alex taunted. "Try harder. Show me your attack skills!"

"I don't want to hurt you, Evil Empress," replied Sarah, fending off another blow.

"You can't hurt me Walker. You hit like a little girl." Alex blocked a half-hearted swing from Sarah.

"I'll remind you that there are five Ring agents who would disagree with you vehemently."

"Then bring out the beast in you! The one who kicked their ass without breaking a sweat!"

"You won't like it, I'm warning you."

"Do it!"

Eventually Sarah swept Alex's legs from under her and the older woman landed hard on the mat and lay still.

"Alex? Oh crap! Alex! Are you okay? Damn, do I need to call an ambulance? Alex!"

"Walker," Alex growled, opening her eyes, "just because we are holding hands, doesn't mean we're gonna take warm showers till the wee hours of the morning, you hear me?"

"First of all, I have Chuck for the shower thing. And thanks for the reminder. We haven't done it in the shower yet."

"Ugh, did I have to know that?"

"And second, what's with the movie references from you today? Quoting Heartbreak Ridge this time? Who are you, a female clone of Clint Eastwood?"

"Hey, it's one of my favorite movies."

"Of course it is. Need help getting up, mom?"

"I'll 'mom' you, rookie." Alex got up, Sarah helping her a bit, just in case.

"Do you want to continue, or would you like a break?"

"I don't want to wear you out already. Baby steps. You have the skills, but you have to condition your body to use them to the full. You are in good shape, but you can do even better. Hit the shower and don't bring Bartowski to give you a rubdown. You can do it at home just as well. This reminds me, I'll have to give you a little something to use so that your intimate moments won't be captured on surveillance."

For the rest of the week, Sarah's training went smoothly. The Intersect 2.0 did not have any adverse effects on as far as Chuck and Alex could see. Chuck had noticed something in the manual, about the 2.0 not functioning properly if the user's emotions were not kept under control and discussed it with Forrest. She suggested beta blockers as a last resort, but agreed to help train Sarah to control her feelings, as a real spy should.

When Devon and Ellie returned from their week long honeymoon, Sarah drove to the airport to pick them up. She had borrowed Chuck's Charger, as her Porsche wasn't exactly the roomiest car. When they all got home, where she had Chuck to protect her, she broke the news about the Intersect 2.0 and what it meant.

"Sarah," said Ellie, her voice strained, "are you telling me that, just after having the Intersect removed, something you'd been wanting for two years, you uploaded a new one willingly?"

"In a nutshell, yes, Ellie, that's the story."

"Devon, what are we going to do with this little sister of yours?"

"Oh, I don't know, babe. I mean, she's gonna be an agent now, which can be dangerous sometimes, but on the other hand it's awesome."

"Why didn't you tell us earlier, Sarah?"

"I didn't want to ruin your honeymoon. Besides, I was and still am having a great time here."

"At least you and Chuck are doing fine. Call Alex and Morgan and tell them to come over for dinner. We have some serious talking to do."

Fortunately Ellie had managed to calm down eventually. Cooking had that effect on her and Sarah had provided able assistance. The conversation was about business this time. The previous agreement would still stand; Devon and Ellie were to continue being the medical support team, while Morgan would be available for odd jobs should his assistance be required.

Sarah was happy that Ellie had been understanding and had not come after her with the biggest kitchen knife they had in the house as she had feared. After dinner they all watched a movie together and then Morgan and Alex went home. This time Sarah convinced Chuck to take her to his place. She had very specific things in store for him and did not want to inconvenience Devon and Ellie in any way.


	15. Chapter 15 Sarah vs the Business Trip

**A/N (1):** New chapter, new mission for Team Walker.

Thanks for all the encouragement you keep giving me to continue.

Disclaimers never change.

* * *

**Sarah vs the Business Trip**

Sarah's training was progressing smoothly. The previous day Chuck had taken her to an Army facility and she spent a few thoroughly enjoyable hours there blowing stuff up as the Intersect's demolition skills came into play. Even Alex had to admit that Sarah's bangs were works of art. Now, back downstairs at Castle, her partners/instructors were testing her lock-picking skills.

"Guys, I swear that if I ever get bored of living an honest life, I can make a most profitable career in grand larceny."

"Bartowski, did you two watch 'Entrapment' last night?"

"Yes, we did. Then it we watched 'The Italian Job', followed by 'The Score' and then we went to bed."

"Some friendly advice: keep your nerd on a short leash."

"You realize she was joking, right?"

"Better safe than sorry, partner," Alex laughed.

"In case you two have forgotten, I'm still here. Done! Time?"

"New record, Walker, you opened the door in no time at all."

"I think we've all earned a coffee break. Chuck?"

"I'll get a pot brewing, honey."

"Extra strong for me, Bartowski."

"Roger that."

After the coffee break Alex gave Sarah another lecture on controlling emotions. The fact that the user had to keep focused in order for the Intersect 2.0 skill flashes to work was emphasized repeatedly. Sarah wasn't sure she could keep her emotions in check like Alex and Chuck could, but promised to do more than just try if push came to shove.

"Walker, I'm going to repeat this once more; intel flashes can still be cued by external stimuli, even though you should now be capable of recalling information on any given subject yourself, if you concentrate."

"I know all that, Alex."

"I know that you know. It's the skills flashes I… we are worried about. Specifically the combat skill flashes. You need to be…"

"Collected, calm and focused for them to work properly, you've said it a million times already. But, Alex, I'm still Sarah. If you or Chuck are in danger and I can't-"

"Never think like this, Walker. Try to focus on the objective every time."

"All right… But that last test was really cruel, Alex." Sarah was referring to a test Chuck and Alex had put her through. Chuck had been 'trapped' in one of the rooms in Castle and gas was being pumped in. Sarah needed to flash to get him out and could not at first because she'd been too scared. She managed to flash eventually, but for hours afterwards she'd been in a kind of shock and feeling guilty knowing that had this been a real situation they could very well have lost Chuck.

"We had to do it, to confirm the manual's warning. I hope it made you realize what's at stake when you have to flash."

"Oh, it did. And I'll keep working on it. With your help."

"You are my partner, Walker. I'll always be there to help."

"You already are helping Alex."

"Thanks. By the way, how's your reading going?"

"I'm two thirds along. Some things in the manual are a new concept, even for me."

"The 2.0 is far more advanced than any previous Intersect version."

"Do you think I'll ever manage to exploit its capabilities to the full?"

"Walker, if you'd asked me this question two years ago, I'd have laughed in your face and then thrown you in a bunker. But you are unique. You've come a long way since the day Jill sent you the first Intersect. You are going to become an agent and you'll be able to control this thing in your head at will. Just have faith in yourself and trust us." Alex had correctly surmised that Sarah, even with her accomplishments so far, had not yet regained all her confidence. She knew how to help her, but to do it she needed cooperation from Chuck and Casey. For the moment she'd just have her trainee use one of the Intersect skills to satisfy a craving of hers.

"I trust you Alex. I always have and I always will. I only have one question."

"Shoot."

"What were you thinking about just now? You zoned out for a moment there. Was it some kind of test to put me through?"

"Something along those lines; I'll explain later. Now, get your boy toy and go home. I'll meet you there later."

"What are we going to do?"

"If I tell you, it won't be a surprise," Alex said slyly.

Chuck and Sarah were cuddling on the couch an hour later when Alex returned, carrying two big bags. She dumped them on the kitchen table, and turned to a curious Sarah and an equally curious Chuck who had followed her to the kitchen to see what she was up to.

"Walker!"

"Um, yes?"

"You are on a mission and you are posing as staff in a five-star hotel and, more specifically, you are the chef. These are the supplies you have to work with."

"Forrest, are you actually going to make Sarah _cook_? I mean, she can cook, but this stuff you got here is too much," Chuck said. Alex took him aside.

"It's in the Intersect and we are training her to use it properly," she whispered. "Don't you just stand there, Walker, get cracking!"

"Mind if I ask you one question?"

"Is it related to the training assignment I just gave you?"

"Yes, it is."

"Go ahead and ask."

"How many people am I supposed to cook for?"

You are to make a meal for six people. Get started."

"OK."

"Normally, you'd be lacing it with tracking devices, poison, sedatives or truth serum, but right now I want to see how you adapt to the situation."

Sarah arranged Alex's purchases neatly on the kitchen counter and started pondering on what to do with all that stuff. Her culinary skills were limited to what she'd learned from Ellie. She pursed her lips as she thought she'd prefer to have to face armed Ring agents. At least she could fight using the Intersect. The Intersect! That's it! If it could turn an agent into a bartender, and she knew for a fact it could, it was in the manual, after all, then maybe it could give an agent some helpful cooking lessons. She smirked as she focused and felt the flash coming. Quickly putting on Ellie's apron, she started working.

"Well, Bartowski, it seems she accessed the Intersect culinary skills."

"I'm impressed."

"And the bonus is she's making one of my favorite dishes, one I haven't tasted in a long time."

"You did this deliberately?"

"What? Don't I deserve to indulge in one of my guilty little pleasures?"

"Forrest, you are full of surprises."

"I know. Call Grimes and invite him over. Ellie and Devon will be here soon as well."

"So that's why you told her to cook for six."

"You got it."

Devon and Ellie returned from the hospital still in their blue scrubs. They were not surprised to see the entire gang gathered in the apartment. They knew Sarah had a congested training schedule.

"Hi guys," Ellie said brightly. Devon exchanged fist bumps with Chuck and Morgan.

"Ellie, Devon, hi. How was work?" Alex asked.

"Same old, same old. What's that smell?"

"Walker is cooking."

"You said 'Walker'. You usually refer to her as 'Sarah' when off work."

"Nothing gets by you, Ellie. I think you missed your true calling; you should have been an interrogator."

"What has cooking have to do with the spy business?" Devon asked.

"Bartowski, care to answer the question? I gotta go see how my student is doing."

"Sure. Well, guys, the new Intersect Sarah recently uploaded can give the user some skills, as you already know. We are testing them now. Essentially, we are giving Sarah various assignments to see how well she can call up said skills and use them."

"And the Intersect can make her a cook?"

"Chef!" Sarah yelled from the kitchen.

"Yes," Chuck laughed. "One never knows what an agent will have to pose as when on a mission."

"And we are here to evaluate my sister's performance?"

"You could say that, Captain."

"OK Chuck. What is she making in there?"

"I honestly have no idea. Forrest bought the ingredients."

"Correct, Bartowski. I had a sudden craving for… never mind, you'll know it when you see it, and what better way to combine business with pleasure?"

"Pretty selfish of you Alex, not that I'm complaining, mind you," said Morgan.

"Guys, clear the table, I'm almost done here," Sarah called from the kitchen. They all quickly cleared the table and set it. Alex retrieved some bottles of Mexican beer from the refrigerator and passed them around.

Sarah served the meal and stood expectantly as the others sampled the various dishes.

"Very good, Walker. Not exactly what I had in mind, but good job all round," said Alex.

"The way she mixed the flavors and styles is unique," Morgan said.

"You'll have to show me what you did there," added Ellie.

"Sis, this is awesome!"

"Sarah, I have no words to praise you," said Chuck. Only then did she sit down to eat.

"Really? You really like it?"

"I would have flunked you otherwise, Walker."

"I thought I could try and combine Mexican and Chinese cuisine, like in one of those cooking shows on TV."

"So it wasn't just the Intersect?"

"I added a personal touch."

"I'm glad you did, Sarah."

"Thanks Chuck. And thank you all. I was really worried about screwing it up, even with the Intersect."

"Walker, you and the Intersect are a formidable combination. Now shut up, eat and let us enjoy your creation."

"Shutting up now."

After the dishes were cleared away, Sarah and Chuck retired to her room for a siesta. He also rewarded her for her cooking in the way she - and he - liked it. Good thing the apartment had adequate soundproofing. Later, they were asleep, holding on to each other when Chuck's phone rang.

"Yeah…" he said sleepily.

"Wake up, Bartowski, duty calls. Get Walker and come to my place; briefing with the General in half an hour."

"Roger." He then turned and gently shook Sarah awake.

"Hmmm, what is it Chuck?"

"We have a new mission. We have to be at Forrest's in thirty. Go shower."

"Why don't you come with me and rub my back?" Sarah asked with a sly smile.

"Fine, but don't expect much. We can't keep the General waiting."

"Good afternoon, Agents," began Casey. The fact that he addressed Sarah as an agent as well was not lost on her. She felt her chest swell with pride. "I called to give you your next assignment. Agent Walker, your instructors assured me your training has progressed sufficiently for you to participate fully in the mission, congratulations."

"Thank you sir."

"Later today you will receive a package with the appropriate cover attire for the first phase. Agent Bartowski, your flight experience will be required again."

"Sir?"

"There will be a plane waiting for you at Bob Hope airport. You will fly it to Maryland, where all three of you will report to me at NSA headquarters at Ft. Meade. I will then brief you on your main assignment."

"Yes sir."

"Agents Bartowski and Walker, you are excused. Major Forrest, I have a personal favor to ask of you." Chuck and Sarah left the room. Outside in the courtyard, Sarah bounced excitedly up and down like a schoolgirl and let out an Ellie-like squeal. She would be going on her first formal mission as an agent and she was all psyched up about it. Chuck was glad to see her happy.

"I think I know what you are going to tell me sir. It will be my pleasure to help," said Alex.

"You know me too well, Major. Yes, it's exactly what you think. If you feel you need help, be free to ask anyone there to assist you."

"I have a person in mind sir."

"Good. That will be all for now. Have a safe trip."

"Thank you sir."

Alex went to the Walker family place and found Chuck watching Sarah and Morgan play a video game.

"Grimes, can I talk to you for a second?"

"Sure, Alex, what's up?" Morgan asked, pausing the game.

"Do you have any plans for tomorrow morning?"

"I was planning to go job hunting, but I'm available if you need help with anything."

"I need your help, all right. Just be over at my place by 0900 hours, got it?"

"I'll be there."

"What was all that about?" Sarah asked after Alex left.

"I have absolutely no idea," said Morgan.

"Chuck?"

"I don't have a clue. I don't think it's spy related though. Morgan has no agent training, so Forrest wouldn't take him along on a mission."

The following morning Morgan was punctual at his appointment with Alex Forrest. They both got in her Barracuda and drove to the UCLA campus. Alex tried to find a parking space near a sorority house, but there was none available.

"Grimes, take the car and find a place to park. I'll call you to pick us up."

"Us, who, Alex? You didn't tell me, who are we going to pick up here?"

"Alex."

"Huh? Except for you, I don't know another Alex. So, can you please be a little more specific?"

"Alex Casey; we are here to pick up Alex Casey, the General's daughter," Alex said, showing him a photo.

"The General's _daughter_? That sweet girl is Casey's daughter?"

"Yes. Be careful with my car. If anything happens to it you'll die a very slow and painful death."

"Gotcha, say no more. Car in mint condition or I die."

"Exactly," Alex said and got out of the car. Morgan slipped in the driver's seat and started looking for a convenient parking spot. Suddenly he saw a petite brunette going the other way. He stopped the car and leaned out the window.

"Alex," he called. The girl stopped and eyed him suspiciously.

"Do I know you?"

"No, um, please hold on until I park this beast here. If anything happens to it I'm dead meat."

"Hey, that's Alexandra's car."

"Uh-huh. It is. And it's the first time I ever heard her being called like that." Morgan parked the car in a just vacated space and got out. "I should introduce myself now. My name is Morgan Grimes," he said and stuck out his hand. Alex took it in a firm grip and smiled.

"Only I, my mom and my dad call her Alexandra, to distinguish her from me. She's a family friend. So I guess you work for my dad too, huh?"

"Not exactly, I'm currently between jobs. But I occasionally do some volunteer work for your father's, ahem, company."

"You do volunteer work? I have never heard of that kind of job description before," Alex laughed. Morgan glanced around to see if anyone was looking their way.

"My best friend is an agent. I help her and her team when they need me," he said in a low voice. He then took his phone out and called Forrest.

"Alexandra," he said when she answered.

"Grimes, what did you just call me?" Forrest growled.

"I met Alex. We are parked about a block down from where I left you."

"You did? Send her over and come around in five minutes."

"Roger that; I'll be there in five. Alex, she says you should head to your place."

"Yeah, I have to pick up my stuff."

A little later they were all in the Barracuda heading back to Burbank. Morgan had gallantly offered to ride in the back and Alex took him up on it. She had a lot to talk about with Forrest. Morgan was listening to music on his iPhone and, seeing that he wasn't listening to them, Alex quietly told Forrest that she thought Morgan was a sweet and cute guy. She could really not understand why the older woman gave her a funny and shocked look in reply. Back at Forrest's apartment, the necessary introductions were made. Alex Casey immediately took a liking to everyone; Chuck, Sarah, Devon and Ellie.

The two doctors would stay in Burbank, but the rest would go to Ft. Meade, even Morgan. They took a minivan, supplied by the NSA, to the airport. Leaving it in the care of their contact, they all proceeded to a Cessna 750 Citation X business jet, which was waiting for them on the tarmac. Chuck was dressed in a blue uniform with a civil aviation captain's rank on the shoulder boards and Sarah was posing as his first officer, both looking like true pilots right down to the aviator's sunglasses they were wearing, Chuck having Ray Ban polarized glasses, while Sarah went for the equally classic American Optical Original Pilot glasses. The others were dressed in business suits.

The flight was uneventful. Chuck and Sarah took turns changing into business suits. In the spacious, lavishly furnished interior, Forrest, Morgan and Alex had started a card game to pass the time. They landed at a military airfield near the NSA headquarters. Kathleen, Casey's wife, was there to drive her daughter home. She greeted Forrest warmly and was introduced to the others. She also appeared to like Morgan, who was serious and very polite.

Alex Forrest led them through security at the main building when they arrived at their destination. Then they all clipped on their ID badges. Alex led, a businesslike look on her. Sarah followed, looking serious, having managed to conceal her excitement, and a disinterested Chuck brought up the rear with a smiling Morgan.

"Whoa, did you see that blonde cutie?" said one analyst to another as the team passed them.

"Who, the Grim Reaper?" He was referring to Alex, of course.

"No, dumbass, the younger one. Damn, that skirt really shows off her legs."

"Did you see who she is?" asked a third analyst.

"No," the others replied.

"I saw her badge, dudes. That sweet girl is Agent S. Carmichael."

"Get out of here!"

"No, I swear, it's her. It's Carmichael!"

"And we thought Carmichael was a guy."

"Yeah, too much data was redacted from the mission reports."

"Well, I'd hate to be the one to break the news to the ladies of the 'Agent S. Carmichael Fan Club'. But on the other hand it might be fun."

"And did anyone see who the two guys are?"

"One is a CIA puke by the name of Bartowski. The other one I don't know, but he looks like a techie. I don't think he's an agent." The three analysts then began a discussion about the legendary Carmichael, the analyst turned agent. They joked that now a new Carmichael Fan Club would have to be founded, this time with male membership.

Casey greeted the four in his office warmly and offered them coffee and home made cookies, courtesy of Kathleen.

"Welcome to Ft. Meade, ladies and gentlemen. Mr. Grimes, you may be wondering why I requested your presence here."

"Yes General, the thought did cross my mind."

"I have an important op in the works and it needs four people for it to work. And I need people I can trust. Agents Walker, Forrest and Bartowski have repeatedly vouched for you and praised your integrity."

"I am honored, sir."

"You are not an agent, so you'll get the easy part of the mission."

"General, what is the mission?" Sarah asked.

"We have intel about a Ring cell operating in the DC area. Their base of operations has been pinpointed, but we have not yet been able to infiltrate it. This is where you four come in."

"You want us to infiltrate a Ring cell, General?"

"Is there a problem, Agent Bartowski?"

"Sir, Fulcrum knew, and quite likely the Ring too knows me and Major Forrest. They don't know Sarah or Morgan, but we can't risk showing our faces in there."

"I know, Agent Bartowski. You'll have to infiltrate covertly and hack into their database. Mr. Grimes will be your lookout, posing as a DC utility worker. He will also be responsible for the diversion you'll need to enter the facility undetected." Casey then handed them a briefcase. "Here you will find all the pertinent information and everything our people have been able to ascertain on the Ring's security measures. Your stay in DC has been arranged as well. Any questions?"

"Not yet, sir," said Alex. We'll go over the files today and contact you if we need any further intel or clarifications."

"I will be available 24/7 if you need to contact me. Do it directly, and under no circumstances use the normal channels. This is too important to screw up."

"Have any Ring operatives been identified so far, sir?"

"No, Agent Walker; that will be your job. They have established their facility in a crowded office building and it's damn near impossible to track who goes in or out. And their security has prevented us from placing cameras on their floor."

While the briefing with the General was in progress, another gathering was taking place inside the NSA Headquarters. The analysts with the highest clearance, who were some of General Casey's most trusted subordinates, were holding a meeting of their own. Twenty-eight men and women had taken seats in an empty briefing room. The subject of discussion was none other than Agent S. Carmichael. The revelation that Carmichael was a girl dropped like a bomb among the assembled analysts. There were voices of disbelief and denial, accusations of hoaxing and hallucinating leveled at the three analysts who had made the discovery, until one of them showed his colleagues the security footage from their floor. Still, some believed Chuck, or even Morgan, was Carmichael, until the image zoomed in on Sarah's badge. When the dust finally settled, one analyst walked out a few hundred bucks richer; he had been the only one to guess that Carmichael was a woman, and thus won the pool of the analysts' related bet.

When the briefing with Casey was wrapped up, the intrepid team was given a car and a couple of addresses in DC. The first one was their target, while the other was the place they'd be staying. It was a nice three-bedroom house in a quiet neighborhood. The biggest bedroom, the one with a king sized bed was allocated to Chuck and Sarah. Alex and Morgan each took one of the smaller bedrooms. They convened in the living room to plan their operation.

"Morgan, your job will be pretty straightforward. The city has already put out a notice about utilities work in the area tomorrow. Casey arranged for it through his contacts. You will go in as a member of the work crew and keep an eye out for anything unusual. You'll have communications equipment, but it is imperative to maintain radio silence as much as possible," said Chuck.

"Understood. But what if we finish early?"

"Do you think it's going to be a factor?"

"Come on, Chuck, work in the afternoon? Everybody will be in a hurry to wrap it up and go home."

"Grimes is right, Bartowski," said Alex.

"We are gonna have to figure out a way for me to stick around until you are finished."

"That's easy," said Sarah, looking up from the maps of the area she'd been studying.

"What do you have in mind Sarah?" Morgan asked.

"There is a diner right across the street from the office building. If the work crew is done early, Morgan can go to the diner and enjoy a nice meal on the NSA's dime." She opened the laptop computer her father had made and googled the diner. "It comes highly recommended, too," she said and showed the search results to Morgan.

"Aha! You have just discovered another good place to find food items for less than ten bucks." The others all laughed.

"Just make sure you get a table by the window Grimes."

"Don't worry Alex, I'm new in this, but I'm not stupid."

"Outside watch is covered. What about the infiltration phase?"

"Walker, you are going to pose as a fledgling software company owner and inquire about the office below the Ring's. This way you'll recon the entire floor to see if they have extended their security measures there."

"I'll need a concealed camera for that job, Alex."

"We'll place one in your purse. No transmitter, just in case, but it'll record everything in a flash drive."

"Okay, say we verify the floor below is safe. Then what?"

"Then we gotta get in, hack into their mainframe, copy the data into a portable drive and get the hell out."

"Shouldn't we bug the mainframe as well, like you and Sarah did back in LA once?"

"It would be risky."

"Sarah, any ideas as to what we can do?"

"Let me work on it. I'll let you know if I come up with anything."

"I think some brain food would help too," said Morgan.

"Good idea Grimes. We haven't had anything to eat today, except for Mrs. Casey's cookies."

"Should I order us some pizza then?"

"No olives for me, please," said Sarah.

"Sarah, who do you think you're talking to? I'm your best buddy, remember? I know everything there is to know about you."

Sarah stayed up late working on a possible solution to the problem of how to plant a bug in the Ring facility mainframe and thus be able to keep abreast of any developments without said bug being detected. They knew for a fact the Ring operated in decentralized cells, but whatever intel they could glean out of this particular cell might help uncover other cells, perhaps even the central headquarters, if they were lucky enough.

Chuck saw her hunched over the desk, engrossed in technical documentation she had called up on her computer. He approached her and started massaging her shoulders. She gratefully accepted it, as it also helped her think.

"Got it!" Sarah suddenly exclaimed.

"You figured it out?"

"Yes! It's really simple in its complexity. I'll connect the mainframe to their outside lines through their own intranet and send the data in small undetectable packages to an outside server. Then the information can be retrieved at will."

"Sarah, you are a genius!" Chuck said and kissed her.

"We won't even have to do the download in the portable hard drive," she said when they came up for air. "The less time we spend in there the better."

Chuck smiled and went to their room. She followed him a few minutes later. They would tell Alex about Sarah's solution to their problem in the morning. For the moment Chuck continued the relaxing massage and then they went to bed and fell asleep holding each other.

In the morning Sarah first explained her plan to Chuck and Alex in as much detail as she could. Just to be on the safe side, they called Casey and asked him to run the concept by his own tech support team. It would be some time until they'd have an answer, so they busied themselves with the preparations for the night's op. Sarah went to the building manager and inquired about renting an office, asking about monthly rates, availability of phone lines and the like. The obliging manager also gave her a tour of the office she was interested in, the small camera in her purse recording every detail in high definition video.

It transpired that, following examination of the video, the Ring cell did not extend their security to other floors, wishing to remain as inconspicuous as possible and not arouse suspicions, should any cameras and stuff be accidentally discovered.

The team received good news from Casey around midday. Sarah's idea was certainly workable and could be done with the equipment they already had available. Alex added her congratulations on top of Casey's. Her plan to help Sarah become ever more confident was working. She was helping her young friend realize that her potential was not only in the Intersect, but in Sarah Walker the person as well; all she would have to do was to find it and tap into it.

Having gotten the OK to proceed, the team split up and its members went about their assigned tasks. Morgan was posing as a public utilities work crew supervisor and purposefully moved around wearing a hardhat and a pair of coveralls over his suit and carrying a clipboard with charts and other documents on it. He discreetly kept a vigilant eye on the office building across the street, ready to warn his teammates if any lights came on in the target office.

Chuck, Sarah and Alex managed to sneak in the office building after almost everyone had left. Avoiding the security guard on duty, they made their way to the vacant office Sarah had visited earlier. She deftly picked the lock, thanks to her Intersect skills, and they all quickly went inside. Alex went first into the ventilation ducts to scout ahead. Fortunately, as far as she could see through the slatted vents, there was nobody inside the Ring office. She returned and told the others the good news. This time, Chuck went in first, to disable the alarm system with Sarah's able assistance.

With Alex covering them, they went straight to the mainframe, where Sarah worked her computer magic. While working she had another flash of inspiration; she added the feed from the office security cams to the data stream that would be sent to a covert NSA server for collection and analysis. This way the NSA would be able to identify the members of this particular cell.

Three clicks on their radio receivers indicated that the work crew was finished, so Morgan would follow the contingency plan and go to the diner to continue keeping watch. Luckily the whole operation went as planned with no unpleasant surprises. Sneaking out of the building was a bit tricky, as a security guard happened to be hanging out near their exit point, but this only caused a minor delay. Morgan even had the presence of mind to get them some takeout from the diner. They all returned to the house they were using as a base of operations and called Casey for a videoconference.

"Report, team," the General said.

"Sir, the operation went as planned. Your tech support team should be soon reporting data reception in the designated server."

"And I assume you were undetected?"

"Yes sir," said Alex, "there was nobody there and Walker and Bartowski managed to disable the security system. Walker also arranged for the Ring's own security camera feeds to be included as separate files in the data stream our Agency will be receiving. She thought it might help identify Ring operatives. It was a damn good idea sir."

"I agree, Major. Agent Walker, you did a great job."

"Thank you sir."

"Is there anything else?"

"No sir. We have nothing more to add."

"Then I suggest you enjoy a day in DC tomorrow before returning to Burbank."

"We will sir, thank you." With that Alex signed off.

The new day began with more good news; Sarah's ingenious setup had provided the NSA with a wealth of intelligence on many of the Ring's operations in the DC area. I addition several Ring operatives, including former Fulcrum agents, had been identified. The general good mood dictated that the team spend the day doing fun stuff. After a quick council they decided to go sightseeing and generally act like tourists. Chuck and Alex had naturally been in DC several times, but it was always for business. Sarah had been there once before with her father and Devon, but she had been eight years old at the time, while Morgan had never before visited the capital. And so they set off early in their borrowed car and managed to visit quite a few sites; the Washington Monument, Jefferson Park, the Botanical Gardens and many other places.

Having finally wrapped up their business in DC and Ft. Meade with a formal debriefing, they were taken to the airfield and Chuck flew them all, including the young Ms. Casey, back to Burbank. Forrest had told her boss in private about the connection she had noticed between Alex and Morgan, which caused Casey to raise an eyebrow. His wife had already told him about the nice young man their daughter had met. Originally he thought she meant Chuck, who was of course unavailable, but when she mentioned that said man had a beard he realized it was about Morgan. And he didn't know how to take it. Originally Morgan had given him the impression of an immature, irresponsible person, but since he had learned the truth about his best friend he seemed more focused and responsible. When Casey met Morgan in person the young man bore almost no resemblance to the one he'd seen so many times in the surveillance feeds. Even Forrest had started to respect Morgan as an honest and loyal man.

During the entire flight Morgan and Alex flirted shamelessly, not even the daggers Forrest was glaring at them dissuading them. They even exchanged phone numbers and email addresses and agreed to go out on a date when Alex's class schedules allowed it. Morgan confided to Chuck and Sarah that he now really needed to get a new job, in order to be able to give Alex the good time she deserved. And his responsible stance even drew praise from an unexpected source: Forrest. But he also got a warning: if he broke Alex's heart he would have to answer to Forrest and it would not be pleasant. Morgan solemnly promised not to do anything by design or negligence to hurt the young woman.

When they landed at Bob Hope International Airport, they were met by Devon and Ellie who had come to pick them up. They couldn't all fit in one car, so Devon had been driving Chuck's car. Chuck took Sarah, Morgan and Alex in his car and drove to the UCLA campus to drop Alex off. Devon and Ellie took Forrest back to Echo Park in their car.

They all met back at Casa Walker to have some fun together. Morgan was sad that Alex had an exam and could not make it, but still managed to put up a cheerful front. They gave Devon and Ellie the presents they had bought for them in DC, and Ellie then took care of dinner, this time assisted by both Sarah and Forrest. The latter's involvement in the kitchen was the direct result of a challenge from Sarah. The men even placed bets on who would complete a task Ellie would assign them; Sarah with the Intersect, or Alex on her own. In the end it was Sarah who won the impromptu contest, calling up the knife wielding skills to quickly and efficiently chop up her share of vegetables. And she did it to the satisfaction of both of her partners. Alex did not mind losing, since her student (she was considering it a training assignment of sorts) once again made her proud.

During dinner they talked mostly about their sightseeing tour of DC. A very small part of the conversation concerned the actual mission, the details of which Devon and Ellie had no need, or desire for what the matter, to know. After dessert and coffee they settled down to watch a movie. It had been Alex's turn to pick one and to everyone's surprise it was a comedy. She defended her choice of movie by stating that everyone needed a good laugh once in a while.

When the credits started rolling on the screen, Chuck and Sarah retired to her, or their, as they now referred to it, room. Sarah said she owed Chuck a relaxing massage, especially since he had not left the cockpit during the entire flight to Burbank. Of course, they both intended said massage to be only the prequel to other fun activities.

* * *

**A/N (2):** Some of you may find the reference to the 'Carmichael Fan Club' somewhat familiar. This is because it's my tribute to two Chuck fics I immensely liked (and heartily recommend to those who have not already read them), namely Sarah vs The Missing Asset by LeeCan and Chuck vs the Super Spy by ersk4.


	16. Chapter 16 Sarah vs the Private Eye

**A/N:** Here is another installment in the adventures of Team Walker. This time four more characters from the show appear.

Thank you all again for your comments and suggestions.

As always, I don't own anything related to the show.

* * *

**Sarah vs the Private Eye**

The alarm clock blared, abruptly pulling Sarah from her very pleasant dreams and back into reality. She was really not a morning person, so she was annoyed as hell. The fact that Chuck wasn't in bed beside her only made matters worse. Almost unconsciously, she flashed on knife skills, grabbed a big survival knife from a nightstand drawer and threw it at the alarm clock, impaling it on the wall. When it was quiet again she burrowed under the covers again, pulling them over her head, and went back to sleep.

In the meantime Chuck had gone out for a walk. He had also visited a new small bakery and bought some of Sarah's favorite pastries, fully intending to serve his girlfriend breakfast in bed. When he returned, he found their new roommate, none other than Morgan, in the kitchen. Awesome and Ellie had moved out and into the apartment right next door a few days ago and Morgan moved in, taking their old room. In addition, Sarah had suggested to Chuck to move in with her as well, which he immediately accepted. He loved her too much not to.

"Hey, Chuck, how are you doing?"

"Great, Morgan, I'm doing great."

"Why shouldn't you? You are dating my best friend and turned her into a leggy Valkyrie who has an aversion to clothing." Morgan was referring to last night. He had gotten up to get a glass of water and he found Sarah in the kitchen wearing only a camisole and a pair of panties.

"So says the man who likes to sleep in the nude. Sarah refers to it as 'Al Buffo', I believe."

"I'll have you know that I've made the painful concession of wearing pajamas, or at least my boxers since I moved in."

"Your sacrifice is appreciated," Chuck said with a smile. "Croissant?"

"Is that from…?"

"Yep, it's from that new bakery round the corner," Chuck replied as he prepared a breakfast tray for Sarah.

"It's delicious, thanks pal. Tell me, how's her training progressing?"

"She's a great student. If she keeps it up, she'll be qualified in no time. What about you and Alex?"

"We are good, if you are talking about Alex Casey and me. We went on a date yesterday. But I really, really need to find a new job."

"If there is anything I can do to help you with your job hunting, let me know."

"I might need your help, if I'm still unemployed by the end of next week."

"OK." Chuck picked up the tray and went to their room. He smiled and shook his head as he saw the murdered alarm clock. Leaving the tray on the desk, he bent over, tugged the covers down and lightly brushed his lips against Sarah's. She was awake almost immediately.

"Now that's how I'd like to wake up every day," she purred.

"I didn't doubt that for a second, Agent Walker," he said, pointing at the skewered alarm clock. "Would you like some breakfast?"

"You brought me breakfast in bed? Awwww, it's so sweet!"

"I'm trying to do normal couple stuff, Sarah."

"I hate to repeat myself, but I don't think we two will ever be normal."

"We can still have normal moments."

"This is why I love you Chuck."

"And this is why I love you too, Sarah." *loving kiss*

"What's on the schedule for today?"

"Nothing, we get the day off."

"We get the day off from spy stuff, or in general?"

"From spy stuff; I still have to go open the store. I'll try to close up early, though. What are you going to be doing?"

"I think I'll try and fire up the Beast."

"Forgive me for sounding stupid, but what is the Beast?"

"The gaming supercomputer I was making."

"You finished it?"

"Yes, I did. I finally installed the software, so today Morgan and I will take it for a spin."

"Have fun!"

"Oh, we will."

Chuck went to the store and opened for business. In between selling camping and outdoor sports gear he did some paperwork, just to pass the time. It was mostly performance evaluation stuff for Sarah's training. He had just finished one sheet when a new customer entered.

"Good morning, Big Mike, how are you?"

"I'm just fine Chuck. How are you? And how is Sarah?"

"We're doing great. We have moved in together now too."

"It was about time. You two are made for each other."

"Thanks Mike. Say, I haven't seen you around the plaza lately."

"I quit the Buy More. Let Emmett sort out the mess on his own. The place was going to Hell without Grimes, Wu, Forrest and your girl anyway. I'm now taking some management and marketing classes at the El Segundo School of Economics."

"I think it's gonna help you find a new career, one more suited to your talents."

"You think so Chuck?"

"I know so. But I still wonder why Emmett is still keeping Jeff and Lester around."

"It's not like he has a choice. Nerd Herders are a bit hard to find for this Buy More, as are green shirts. Not altogether surprising, given how he runs the place. Potential employees avoid it like the plague. But this is not why I'm here."

"Let me guess: fishing gear?"

"You got it Chuck. Here's what I'll need." Big Mike gave Chuck a list.

"Can do easily." Chuck found the stuff Big Mike wanted and rang them up. The former Buy More manager thanked him, paid and left.

About half an hour later another man entered the store. Chuck recognized him as being another Buy More employee, a Mr. Mercer, HR expert from corporate, as he recalled.

"Hello sir, how may I help you?" Chuck asked.

"Hello, I'd like a bicycle helmet for my niece. Could you please help me find the right one?"

"Sure thing, the helmets are over here. You know the size?"

"Yes, I've got it in my iPhone." He showed Chuck the note on the screen.

"We have that size. Here they are, take your pick. Say, aren't you from the Buy More?"

"How do you know?"

"My girlfriend used to work there."

"Ah, yes, I remember you now. Your girlfriend is Sarah Walker, right? The blonde girl who was once a candidate for the assistant manager position?"

"That's right. So, how are things across the parking lot?"

"Corporate might be closing this Buy More. Sales are down and customer satisfaction is at an all-time low."

"Can't say I'm surprised."

"You're not? Anyway, who wouldn't? I'll take this one for my niece."

"Good choice, I think she'll love it. Will it be cash or credit card, sir?"

"Cash." Mercer paid but didn't leave immediately. "You know, Michael Tucker might have not been the best of managers, but he led a happy store."

"A happy store is an efficient store."

"Yes, yes it is. And now I have to either find a new manager or close it down."

"You are firing Emmett?"

"Didn't you hear? Emmett's dead. He was killed during a mugging in downtown LA."

"I didn't like him, but that's too bad. Hey, I think I can make a suggestion."

"I'm listening."

'Hire Big Mike back as the manager. He's been taking management and marketing courses at the El Segundo School of Economics. I know, I saw him earlier today and he told me."

"I might follow your advice, thanks. I'll run it by corporate and see what they have to say."

Sarah and Morgan had already spent several hours enjoying the performance capabilities of the Beast. It took gaming pleasure to new heights for them, especially since Sarah had built it with the capability to support two players simultaneously in addition to the option of connecting on a LAN or on the web. In fact, after only an hour of playing one vs one and then both of them against the game's AI, they connected it to the Internet and joined a multiplayer game of Call of Duty, one of the WW-II versions, not Modern Warfare. For the next few hours they kept mercilessly fragging anyone who dared stand in their way as they rampaged their way across the virtual battlefields of Europe.

The only person who could bring their gaming spree to an abrupt halt was Ellie. She barged in on them and frowned when she saw that they were still lost in gaming heaven.

"Sarah Walker!"

"Ellie?"

"Drop everything and come with me!"

"Uh, like… now?"

"Right now, missy!"

"Gee, OK, I'm coming. Morgan, have fun. Frag a few for me too, will you?"

"No problem Sarah, they'll never know what hit them."

Ellie dragged Sarah next door to her new place. Devon was away at the hospital, so they were alone.

"Sarah, I'll once again repeat how glad I am to see that you and Chuck have worked things out and you are having a great time together. In fact I see your cohabitation as-"

"Ellie, stop. That's your wedding craziness talking right now. Chuck and I are happy with the current arrangement and we'll take it to the next level only when we decide we are ready, OK?"

"Anyway, this is not why I wanted to talk to you Sarah."

"What did you want to talk about?"

"Do you want to do something romantic for Chuck?"

"I'm all ears."

"I've made a couple of lunchboxes. One for you and one for Chuck. Why don't you run down to the store and have lunch with him?"

"Ellie, that's a great idea, thanks!" Sarah grabbed her sister-in-law and hugged her tight.

"Sarah, I can't breathe!"

"Hah! Welcome to the other side! That's how I feel when you hug me too enthusiastically."

"Am I that bad?"

"Yes you are. Gotta go now, bye!"

"Drive safe!"

Sarah got in her dad's or rather _her_, Porsche, since he had given it to her and kept his truck for himself. She had to admit she loved the toys her father got for her. In fact she had always loved the toys he'd been getting her since she was a little girl. And the last two, namely the laptop and the sports car were really cool. Driving a stick took some getting used to, as the Herders had been automatic, but it didn't detract the slightest from the pleasure. Almost before she knew it she was parking the car next to Chuck's Charger. She got out and collected the lunchboxes before locking it and heading inside the SD&M.

"Hi Chuck!"

"Sarah, what are you doing here? You have the day off, remember?"

"Yeah, but Ellie made lunch and thought it might be a good idea if we had it here together."

"Ah, Ellie, the hopeless romantic," he laughed. "Don't get me wrong; I think you are a very romantic person too, just a different kind of romantic. That's why you are not still at the apartment, taming the Beast."

"I delegated this task to Morgan. Speaking of whom, we need to help him find a job. I have my NSA salary, so I'm OK, but he's making ends meet by going through his savings."

"Yeah, I promised to help him with that."

"You are a great guy Chuck."

"Hey, Morgan is family."

"You really believe that?"

"Sure. I've come to regard Awesome, Ellie and Morgan as family."

"And me?"

"My – initially – cover girlfriend and now my real girlfriend, the love of my life."

"And Alex?"

"Alex? Well… let's say she's the best partner I've ever had, along with Jill."

"Am I not your partner too?"

"You are way more than just a partner, sweetheart." And then he kissed her.

"Back to the subject of Morgan," she said, "any ideas on how we can help him?"

"He can go back to the Buy More. Mercer was here shopping today and he had some interesting news."

"Chuck, who is Mercer?"

"He's the corporate HR guy. The one you had the AM interview with but skipped out on because we had the cruise liner bomb to deal with just before our first Halloween, remember?"

"Oh, right, I remember now."

"Anyway, he told me that the store was going from bad to worse under Emmett. But Emmett is no more now."

"He was fired?"

"No, Mercer told me he was killed in a mugging."

"Oh. That's terrible."

"Yeah. I also saw Big Mike, who stopped by about half an hour before Mercer. Did you know he quit the Buy More and he's taking management and marketing courses at the El Segundo School of Economics?"

"He always wanted to do that, broaden his knowledge, as he used to say."

"I told Mercer about it and he said it might be a good idea to get corporate to hire Big Mike back."

"And if Big Mike returns as the rightful King of BuyMoria, Morgan can also return."

"And have a steady job. That about sums it up."

"I can't wait to give him the good news."

"Big Mike has to be reinstated first, although I don't think it will be too difficult, especially if Casey lends a hand. Remember when we discussed the matter with him?"

"Does this mean Alex and I will have to go back to the Buy More?"

"I don't know yet."

They finished their lunch and Sarah went and got them some frozen yogurt from the Orange Orange for dessert. Then they just sat talking and enjoying each other's company, when the door opened and another customer entered. It was a tall strikingly beautiful brunette. Chuck's eyes widened in surprise when he saw her and Sarah flashed, although she knew her from an old flash on another file.

"Hi," she said, "could you please tell me where… CHUCK?"

"Eve?"

"It's been a long time, Chuck," she said as he moved from behind the counter and embraced her. She gave him a peck on the cheek.

"You look great, as always, Eve. And now, allow me to introduce my girlfriend Sarah Walker. Sarah, this is Evelyn Nichols, a friend of mine from the academy."

"It's a pleasure to meet you Sarah. Finally, Chuck found a girl to settle down with."

"I've heard a lot about you too, Eve," replied Sarah.

"Chuck, is Sarah…?"

"She's NSA."

"And you are still an agent then?"

"Yes, I'm currently on long term duty assignment with the NSA. But you can forget I said that. What about you? I haven't heard from you or about you in a long time."

"I quit the CIA. After the fiasco in Paris, I divorced Daniel and submitted my letter of resignation a couple of months after the divorce was finalized. Let me tell you Chuck, being out of the spy business did me a lot of good. I feel like a new person." Eve's hand was unconsciously tracing a spot on her abdomen as she spoke. Sarah guessed it was where she had been shot in Paris.

"So, what are you doing now?"

"I'm a private investigator."

"So you turned into a Victoria 'V.I.' Warshawski?"

"Who?"

"The 'detective in high heels'; it was a movie, starring Kathleen Turner," explained Sarah. "She… well, you have to see the movie."

"I will, thanks for the explanation Sarah."

"How may I help you Eve?"

"I need some information. I don't know Burbank that well, so I thought I'd stop and ask for directions. I'm looking for Club Apocalypse."

"I know it," said Sarah. "It's not far from here." She took a map of Burbank and marked the spot for Eve.

"Thanks Sarah."

"Are you going to have some fun tonight Eve?"

"I wish. No, Chuck, it's all business tonight."

"Unfaithful husbands/wives?"

"Not that kind of thing, Chuck. Corporate stuff pays better."

"I see… Well, if you need any help, just call me." He gave her his card. "It's our day off so Sarah and I will be glad to assist you, off the record of course."

"Of course. Thanks for the offer Chuck, but I think this one will be pretty straightforward. I have to be going now. Thanks again for everything."

"Come by again, Eve. Perhaps we can go out for drinks, the three of us, and swap spy stories."

"I'd really like that. See you!"

"Bye Eve."

"Eve is really nice Chuck," Sarah said after the brunette had left.

"Yes, she's a lot like you actually. She just fell for the wrong guy. To him she was just a prize, nothing more."

"Chuck, I flashed on her file."

"Did you see anything interesting?"

"No, nothing we did not already know. Thanks to the Intersect I knew she had quit, but her file has nothing on her current activities."

"You know, Sarah, I was really glad to see her. It's good she's back on her feet again."

"I can relate to her in some ways. She took some hard blows, but to her credit she got over them."

The rest of the workday was fun. Sarah stayed with Chuck until an hour before closing time. She left to do some shopping and he said he would meet her back at their place. Chuck had also sent an email to Casey notifying him of the situation at the Buy More. A reply had come almost immediately. Casey would use some of his connections to get Buy More corporate to reinstate Big Mike and then it would be mathematically certain that Morgan would be given the Assistant Manager position, which was important as a) Morgan was in the know and b) Castle still had two exits leading into the Buy More. The subject of Sarah and Alex returning to the Buy More as well was left open for the moment.

When Chuck returned home, Sarah had already tidied up and put away the groceries. Morgan was furiously writing something.

"Guys, I'm back!" Chuck called.

"Hey dude, how was your day?"

"Didn't Sarah tell you?"

"No, she was busy with housekeeping stuff. I offered to help, but all she tasked me with was stocking the refrigerator."

"Hmmm… What are you doing there, by the way?"

"Sarah ordered me to compose a written report on the performance of the Beast and include my suggestions on how it can be even better. And let me tell you Chuck, it is p-e-r-f-e-c-t. Our girl really outdid herself this time."

"Good to hear it. I might even try it myself, if you and Sarah could tear yourselves from it. Did Sarah tell you the news from the Buy More?"

"No, she said she had some news, but she wanted to wait until you got home. As for the other thing, the truth is I was afraid I'd have to pry Sarah off of you with a crowbar. Not that I'd really want to. You guys are perfect together, I'm telling you this as I'm really happy for her since she's the sister I never had."

"Chuck, you are back," said Sarah, emerging from the bathroom in her favorite black bathrobe. She went straight to him and kissed him.

"Honey, should we tell Morgan the good news?"

"Sure." He sat down in a comfortable armchair and Sarah sat on his lap.

"Huh, guys, what good news?"

"Well, it's both bad news and good news, the bad news NOT being about us."

"I'm all ears."

"The Burbank Buy More is without a manager."

"Did Emmett quit? No, he would never quit. Was he fired?"

"He's dead, Morgan. Mercer, the corporate HR guy dropped by the SD&M and told me."

"Was he in an accident?"

"It was a mugging."

"I didn't like the man, but that's no way to go, dude."

"My sentiments exactly."

"Anyway, Chuck here suggested to Mercer that Big Mike should get his job back. And if, sorry, _when_ that happens, you can go back to the Buy More, Morgan."

"That's good news indeed, guys, thanks. At least I'll have a job again."

"Not just a job; in all likelihood you'll be Big Mike's assistant manager."

"You think he'll have me?"

"I don't think he's forgotten what you did for everyone during your brief tenure as the Ass Man under Emmett."

"Morgan, cheer up," added Chuck. "A managerial position should allow you to go forward with the young Miss Casey too."

"If her father doesn't have Alex Forrest kill me first."

"General Casey is a fair man. But I wouldn't give him just cause for such extreme measures if I were you."

"Are you kidding Chuck? Not in a million years. I really like his daughter and I'd never, repeat, never hurt her. Anyway, Alex and I have plans for tonight."

"What kind of plans, little man?"

"I… Sarah, I was wondering…"

"Morgan, I know what you're gonna ask and the answer is no, a most unequivocal _NO_. Nobody drives my baby but me!" Sarah had obviously grown very much attached to her little Porsche. She wouldn't even let Chuck drive it.

"You can take my car, Morgan."

"Chuck, you are a life saver, dude."

"You were saying something about plans."

"I was thinking about a romantic picnic dinner on the beach and then we could hit a club. Maybe Club Apocalypse would be a good idea. Lon Kirk, the owner, promised something about a great band playing there tonight and we'll have to go early to- Sarah, did you flash?"

"Yes, when you mentioned Lon Kirk. The guy's dirty, Chuck. Counterfeiting, money laundering, industrial espionage, you name it, he's in it."

"Industrial espionage… shit, didn't Eve say she's working on corporate cases?"

"She did. Oh, crap… if Kirk is involved, she's in over her head."

"That's right. Sarah, get dressed and go tell Forrest." As Sarah ran to their room, Chuck fumbled in his pockets until he found what he was looking for. "Morgan, here, take my car keys. It has a tank full of gas. I suggest you take Alex to another club." He tossed the keys and Morgan caught them.

"Will do, my friend, will do. You guys be careful out there, you hear me?"

"We will. You just go have a good time and don't worry about us."

"Why worry? Three super spies together are an unstoppable force."

"Thanks for the vote of confidence Morgan," said Sarah as she exited the apartment to go to Forrest's, still buttoning her blouse.

A few minutes later all three agents were gathered in Alex's apartment and Sarah was reporting the contents of her flash to General Casey.

"… And that's just about it, General," Sarah concluded her report.

"This is serious. I agree with you and Agent Bartowski. You should stake out the place."

"Sir," said Chuck, "there might be a deal of some kind going down tonight."

"How do you know, Agent Bartowski?"

"I happened to meet an old acquaintance of mine, a former CIA agent. She is a private investigator now and she is working on a corporate case. She came into my store by chance to ask for directions to the club."

"I'll have her checked out. What is her name?"

"Sarah flashed on her, but the Intersect had nothing on her post-CIA career. Her name is Evelyn Nichols."

"Never heard of her," said Alex.

"She's Shaw's ex-wife," Sarah clarified.

"I have heard of her," Alex corrected. "She had a good reputation in the intelligence community, save for her asshole of a husband."

*amused Casey grunt at Alex's use of profanity*

"One more thing; how did you hear about Kirk?"

"General, Morgan said Kirk was bringing a famous band to play at the club tonight. He was planning on taking his date there."

"Would that date be my daughter?"

"Yes sir," replied Chuck. Casey grunted (it was #130, translated as 'kids…').

"At least the kid is trying to show her a good time," he said. He appeared willing to give this relationship a chance.

Later, all three agents were in the van watching the premises and debating how to enter the club, when Alex saw a woman in another car watching the club through a pair of binoculars.

"Bartowski, is this Nichols?"

"Where?"

"In that silver Chrysler Stratus on our two o'clock."

"No, that's not Eve," Chuck said, after taking a good look at the woman. Sarah zoomed a surveillance camera in on her and ran the image through a facial recognition program. The results were not long in coming.

"Got her! She's a cop; Detective Alexis White, LAPD homicide division."

"Local law is involved, huh? Forrest, report it," said Chuck. Alex obliged and soon they had new orders.

"The General says we gotta scare her off. Are you two lovebirds ready to play Feds?"

"We are ready. Sarah, take an FBI badge and your gun. We are going to have a little chat with Detective White. Forrest, keep watching."

"Roger that. Good hunting, guys."

Sarah and Chuck approached the Stratus. Its sole occupant tensed when she saw them and reached inside her jacket.

"Detective White?" Sarah asked.

"Yes?"

"Special Agent Carmichael, FBI," she said, showing a badge. "This is my partner, Special Agent Burton. Can we talk to you for a moment?"

"Sure, come in," Alexis said. Chuck and Sarah entered the car.

"Detective White," began Chuck, "please tell us exactly what you are doing here."

"I'm on a stakeout."

"Yeah, we kinda figured that out. Who are you after?"

"Lon Kirk; I'm after Lon Kirk. He's going down for murder. He's responsible for my partner's death."

"I'm sorry, Detective, but I'm afraid you'll have to lay off the case. It is now a federal matter," said Chuck.

"You can't be serious! This man is responsible for at least six murders in the past year alone, one of the victims being a good cop!"

"Detective," said Sarah, "we sympathize with you, but please, you have to see the big picture here. Kirk is behind money laundering, counterfeiting and industrial espionage to name but a few offenses. And out job is to make sure he pays for everything. And if you tell us what you know, it could really be helpful," said Sarah.

"All I know is that my partner and I stumbled on evidence linking Kirk to a mob-style hit. We were getting really close, when he somehow made us. He tried to have us killed, but I got away. My partner did not." White reached for a folder. "Here is what I have on Kirk."

"Thank you." Sarah quickly scanned the contents of the file. She didn't flash, but some of it was familiar. "That was good work, Detective White, you have been very helpful, thanks," she said.

"Agent Carmichael, can I stay and help you?"

"I know what it means to you, but we'll take it from here. Kirk knows you, but he doesn't know us."

"Bartowski," Alex's voice crackled over their earwigs, "I hacked into their security systems and saw Nichols inside the club, getting cozy with Kirk. She's pulling all the standard moves, right out of the seduction manual."

"Shit. Hang tight, we'll be with you in a sec. Carmichael, we gotta go. There is a civilian with the suspect."

"The private eye?"

"Yes, we have to figure out a way to get her the hell outta there. Detective, please don't do anything stupid."

They were about to go back to the van when they saw three very large men approach it, yank a door open and roughly pull Forrest out. She decked one of them and bloodied up another before they managed to subdue her. Alexis saw it all as well.

"Agents," she said, "I'll call for backup. We'll need a SWAT team here."

"Negative, too many civilians in the premises," said Chuck. "Carmichael, call in one of our own HRTs." Sarah pulled out her phone and called Casey, requesting an NSA tactical team disguised as an FBI hostage rescue team.

"What's the diff?" Alexis asked.

"Kirk might have people monitoring police frequencies. We can't afford to alert him. Otherwise he might see fit to kill a federal agent and a civilian."

"The P.I. is leaving the club," said Sarah after putting the phone back in her pocket. Chuck ran to her and rejoined Alexis and Sarah with Eve in tow. On the way he told her to call him by his Burton alias.

"What is going on?" Eve asked.

"Miss Nichols, this is Detective White, LAPD. You've already met my partner, Agent Carmichael. We need you to tell us exactly what you were doing here."

"I really can't. It's confidential. I think you understand."

"Kirk's men just abducted our partner, Agent Foster." Foster, of course, was none other than Alex Forrest.

"OK then. I was hired by a defense contractor to investigate the disappearance of one of his employees, a Ms. Sydney Prince."

"Go on."

"Ms. Prince was project manager for a new compact airborne targeting system for precision guided weapons. One that can be fitted to a variety of aircraft without compromising performance, occupying a weapons pylon or ruining any stealth characteristics, as well as offering the best resolution possible."

"Kirk kidnapped her to get the plans so he could sell them to the highest bidder," said Sarah.

"That's my conclusion too."

"So now we have to rescue two people without endangering civilian lives," said Chuck.

"Won't be easy," added Alexis.

"I hope you called for backup," said Eve.

"We did. A unit should be here shortly. Any ideas as to where he might have taken the hostages?"

"The best guess would be the machine room of the club at the basement."

"It's as good a place as any. The legitimate employees of the club would have no reason to go down there too much."

"Nichols, are you packing?" Sarah asked. Eve pulled an FNP-45 from her purse.

"Nice piece," commented Alexis.

"What about you, Detective White?"

"I have a .40 caliber Glock."

"It appears Kirk's goons left our van alone. Carmichael, can you see if they have it under surveillance?"

"Not from here," replied Sarah, after looking around through White's binoculars.

"I also have a night vision scope in the trunk," Alexis said.

"Thanks, I think we can use it," said Sarah and went to retrieve it. She used it and told the others that it appeared Kirk's men were not bothering with the van any longer. With Alexis and Eve covering them Chuck and Sarah went back to the van and pulled up the interior surveillance again.

"They are looking for Forrest's partners inside," Chuck told Sarah.

"Now we have to figure out a way to go in."

"Better to wait for backup."

The NSA tactical team soon arrived and Chuck briefed them on the situation and the possible location of the hostages.

"Hey, guys, come here!" Sarah called. Chuck and the tactical team leader went to the van.

"I initially had no luck with the interior security cams, but I managed to hack into Kirk's own computer. He has a video feed from the basement." The feed showed Forrest bound to a chair being questioned by Kirk. One of his henchmen was rubbing a hand over his chin. Alex must have hit him. There was another tied up woman in the room, most likely Sydney Prince, looking very frightened.

"Now the question is how we get in."

"I've got it covered."

"You do? Great job Sarah."

"Thanks. Kirk has an escape tunnel leading from the machine room to the outside. I can disable the alarms and loop the cameras from here. Then we can go in at leisure."

"Do it. I'll brief the team."

After Sarah was finished working her computer magic, she joined Chuck and the rest of the team and they all entered the tunnel. Eve and Alexis stayed in the parking lot with a couple of men from the team who stayed behind as the rear guard. They quickly made their way to the hidden door leading into the machine room and paused to watch the scene inside through a vent grille. Kirk made the mistake of coming too close to Alex. He paid for it when she lashed out and head-butted him, breaking his nose and then kicked him in the balls. He doubled over in pain and one of his goons hit Alex hard, knocking her and the chair she was bound to over on the floor. With both hostages out of the line of fire, Chuck, Sarah and the tactical team burst inside. The surprise was complete. Not a shot was fired before all the bad guys were subdued and cuffed. Chuck freed Sydney and checked her for injuries, while Sarah cut Alex's bonds and helped her up.

"Alex, we need to get you to a hospital," she said.

"It's nothing Walker," she replied, wiping some blood off of her face. "Devon and Ellie can patch me up if necessary."

"You need X-Rays and you might have a concussion."

"Negative on both, I'm fine."

"At least promise me you will do as Awesome and Ellie say."

"I will. Thanks Walker. You did a good job tonight."

"Come on, let's get you home."

Back at the apartment, Devon and Ellie pronounced Alex healthy and well. Chuck had stayed behind to arrange the transportation of the prisoners to a detention facility and the intel gathering from Kirk's office. A grateful Sydney was entrusted to Eve's care. Chuck thanked Alexis for her help and she in turn thanked Chuck for taking Kirk down. Chuck and Eve also confirmed their earlier promise to go out for drinks some day and remember old times. He returned to the Walkertowski/Grimes place to find almost everyone there. Alex was sitting on the couch, holding an ice pack to her jaw and enjoying a beer with Sarah, Awesome and Ellie.

"You are back already Bartowski?"

"Yes, Forrest, the job is done. How are you doing?"

"I'm doing fine. Go grab a beer."

"Where is Morgan?"

"He's still out with Alex."

"He better not be up to anything funny with her."

"Forrest, relax, you know Morgan is a very decent guy."

As if on cue, the door opened and Alex Casey came in followed by Morgan Grimes. The younger Alex got worried when she saw the bruise on Forrest's face, but calmed down when Ellie explained it was nothing. Morgan told the others that he and Alex had had a great time. They were both tired, so they had decided to retire to the apartment instead of Morgan dropping Alex to her dorm at UCLA. Forrest gave them both a funny look and insisted that Alex should bunk in at her apartment. Morgan said that Alex could have his bed, while he would take the couch. Alex took the latter option. They all talked for a while longer before deciding to call it a night. Chuck, Sarah and Forrest also had to report to the General, which they did, being congratulated for a job well done in the process and then they adjourned to go get some sleep.


	17. Chapter 17 Sarah vs the Graduation

**A/N:** I felt that my fic would not be complete without at least some reference to the Tic Tac, the Final Exam and their aftermath, especially considering that the latter episode was very disappointing. This is my take on how it could have been better.

As usual, standard disclaimers still apply.

* * *

Chuck Sarah and Alex were downstairs in Castle with a somber General Casey. The last mission had been successfully concluded, but there had been major complications. Now they had to deal with the fallout.

"Major Forrest," began the General, "if it were up to me, you'd get away with a severe reprimand, tops. But there are people in DC thirsting for blood, your blood. I still managed to get you your - second - second chance, which is two more than most people normally get in this business. You get a new chance… as a civilian." Casey's subordinates gasped. He was firing Alex Forrest?

"General," said Chuck, "Major Forrest has devoted her life to serving her country. She's given up too much and-"

"She can start over again. Fortunately she will be allowed to retire with honor and with a full benefits package in recognition to her years of loyal service."

"Sir, I must protest," said Sarah. "The Ring threatened the family of her former partner, the man who died years ago saving her life. She did what she felt was necessary to save them. And on top of that she took down a Ring cell almost singlehandedly."

"This is the only reason she's not in prison right now, Agent Walker. And how do you know…?"

"About that old mission? It's in the Intersect."

"I see… Anyway, I'd like a word with Agent Bartowski. Agent Walker, please escort Ms. Forrest…" Casey stopped before he said 'off government property. "Take her home."

"Yes sir."

Alex rose and saluted the General one last time. Instead of saluting back he hugged her.

"Thank you for everything Alexandra," he told her. Sarah put an arm around Alex's shoulders and guided her to the parking lot. They got in the Porsche and drove off towards Echo Park.

"Agent Bartowski, you realize the recent personnel change may affect your assignment, right?"

"How so, sir?"

"Do you still wish to remain in the Intersect Project?"

"Yes sir, I'm staying. Not only that, but I intend to find out a way to help reinstate Forrest."

"If you have any bright ideas, let me know. I want her back too. I'm not happy with having to dismiss one of my best agents. For the moment I'll just leave her position open. You and Walker won't have to break in a new partner. Now give me your assessment of Agent Walker's progress."

"She's ready sir. She won't do infiltration and inducement beyond flirting, which is usually enough to have a mark wrapped around her little finger anyway and she absolutely refuses to kill. Sure, she has shot people on occasion, but she's either used a tranq gun, or fired incapacitating non-lethal shots."

"Is she ready for a final evaluation and, passing that, induction as a full agent?"

"She is, General."

"I'll arrange for the evaluation then and take what you just told me about her under serious consideration."

Alex sat in her apartment dazed and despondent. She had been prepared for the consequences from the moment she went off the reservation, but it still hurt. But it was Sarah who was in tears. She ached for her partner, her mentor, her friend.

"Sarah, it's okay."

"No, Alex, it's not okay, it's not fucking fair! We need you on the team. I'm sure Chuck feels the same way."

"It's no use Sarah. I've made my bunk and I'll lie in it."

"Don't get used to it. We'll find a way to get you back."

"No. I won't let you do anything stupid. You have a whole career as an agent ahead of you. Don't screw it all up just for me."

"Alex, without you I wouldn't be here."

"Sarah, thank you for trying to make me feel better, but just let it go. Besides, I still have a place to live, a job and my Army retirement benefits."

"So that's it? You'll just be a green shirt in the Buy More?"

"For now, yes."

"I guess it won't hurt to have you watching our backs in there, unofficially of course."

"See? It's not that bad. You'll do fine without me Sarah. And you've got Chuck too. There is nothing you two can't do."

"Still, you should have told us everything before it got out of hand."

"I couldn't drag you two down with me. You needed to have some plausible deniability in all this. That stunt you pulled, trying to break me out of the detention facility was really stupid. I wanted to protect both of you too and you went rogue for me. I suppose I should thank you for having so much faith in me."

Sarah just hugged her friend. It didn't show, but Alex was moved by how devoted her team mates were to her. If she knew Bartowski, he was pestering the General to find a way to reinstate her. And Sarah… Alex had almost openly confessed that she regarded her former asset and now ex-partner as the little sister she'd never had.

In the next few days Alex was even more moved by the support everyone showed her. Devon and Ellie were trying to comfort her in every way they could think of, Morgan was going out of his way to make it easier for her at the Buy More and Alex Casey started hanging out with her even more often.

In the meantime General Casey had sent an agent, known only as Mr. Smith, to do Sarah's final pre-induction evaluation. She had passed most of the tests with ease, the Intersect functioning perfectly. She had managed to gain some measure of control over her flashes and Mr. Smith had not been told anything about her special skills, so he had been suitably impressed.

"Agent Carmichael," Smith said, "so far your scores have been perfect."

"Thank you Agent Smith."

"There is another test for you now; this time it is an actual mission."

"Is my partner's participation required?"

"No, I will be your partner on this mission."

"I'm ready for the briefing, Agent Smith."

"Very well, Agent Carmichael. Your mark is a traitor working with an information broker with ties to the Ring. The broker will be meeting a CIA agent sometime tomorrow night at the Grand Ambassador to pick up information which will be subsequently passed on to the Ring."

"Do you want me to intercept the information package as well?"

"That won't be necessary. There is another team assigned to do that. Your job will be to identify the mole. The broker is useful to us only until he leads us to the mole."

"That's it?"

"You have a problem, Agent Carmichael?"

"It looks pretty straightforward to me, not something I'd expect for a final exam."

"All your actions will be evaluated, Carmichael; the stakeout setup, surveillance, approach to the mark, identification and extraction."

"How am I supposed to make the ID?"

"You won't have to identify the mole by name yourself. Just obtain an image of him to run through the facial recognition software. Exercise extreme caution, as the mole is believed to be responsible for the deaths of several CIA agents as well as civilians."

"Understood."

"Carmichael?"

"Yes?"

"Your partner had the same question about how easy it is. The answer is this: You have performed so well in the last couple of years that all this is merely a formality. I was told you have more field experience than many agents with more years in the Agency."

"Thank you again, Agent Smith."

"Go pack your gear; the equipment selection will be graded as well."

"I'm on it," she said and moved to the equipment storage room.

Chuck was in bed with Sarah, holding her in his arms and nibbling at her earlobe.

"Don't stop," she said when he pulled away.

"Okay… but first you've got to tell me, how is the evaluation going?"

"Smith is giving me my final exam tomorrow night, a stakeout and surveillance job."

"Do you want me to tag along?"

"Smith said it won't be necessary. I've already packed the mission gear."

"Will you surprise him with a stakeout dinner?"

"Hmmm… no, I won't. This is our thing you know, our trademark."

"Is it just that, or are you afraid you'll look unprofessional if you do it?"

"Smith cares about results. How I obtain them won't matter as long as the setup and tactics satisfy his standards. And it's been a while since we last had a stakeout dinner."

"That's a serious omission."

"One we must fix soon, we'll do it on the next stakeout in fact. But right now I have other things to take care of," she said and straddled her boyfriend.

"The things I do for England," Chuck mock-sighed.

"Don't tell me you don't like it… Mr. Bond," she teased and tickled him.

"Oh, you'll so pay for this," he growled and rolled, pinning her underneath him before capturing her lips in a passionate kiss. Needless to say, they didn't get much sleep during the night.

In the morning, Alex met Devon and Ellie as they were leaving for work. Morgan was taking out the garbage and met them too.

"Hey Alex! Hello Morgan!"

"Good morning Ellie, Captain."

"Morning folks!"

"You seen Chuck and Sarah anywhere?"

"They must be getting freaky in the shower," Alex said smiling.

"Now, how do you know that?" Morgan asked. "I live in the same apartment with them and I don't know their current whereabouts."

"Easy; they are not in their room and I could see they were not inside with you. With a process of elimination the shower is the only logical place for them to be right now. Besides, I no longer have the place under surveillance."

"Sarah will be late for work if Chuck keeps her occupied for much longer," Morgan remarked.

"Somehow I think it wouldn't matter, Mr. Ass Man," said Alex.

"No it doesn't, Ms. Lieutenant Assistant Manager."

"Huh?"

"That's right, Alexandra. I need someone I can trust to step in when I have to be away from the store. And you are the most suitable person for the job. The fact that the others find you intimidating also helps. Consider it a good cop-bad cop situation."

"That's very smart, little buddy," commented Devon.

"Indeed," added Ellie, "especially if Alex helps keep Lester and creepy serial killer Jeff in line."

"One is a complete idiot and the other is a drunken moron; how hard can it be?"

"You'll be surprised Alex. Don't worry though, I'll teach you some useful tricks myself."

"Hey guys," Sarah said brightly, coming into the courtyard while adjusting her tie. "Are you ready to go to work?"

"Ready as we'll ever be. Oh, and, Sarah?"

"Yes, Morgan?"

"As of today Alex here is my Lieutenant Assistant Manager. I think I'll have to find her a fancier title though."

"How about 'Sales Team Supervisor', Morgan? I'm the IT section supervisor and as the Buy More stores have Nerd Herd supervisors, why not have Green Shirt supervisors as well?"

"No, your suggestion implies that her authority only extends over the green shirts, while I need her to take my place when I'm unavailable."

"Sarah could just as easily take your place."

"No Alex, she already has too much to do as the Number 1 Nerd Herder."

"Don't sweat about it. I like the title of Lieutenant Assistant Manager."

At the Buy More, the employees were lined up for the morning's 'briefing' by Big Mike.

"People," he began, "I will have to attend a managers' meeting with some fat cats from corporate today, so I'm leaving Mr. Grimes in my place. That will be all."

"Party hardy," muttered Jeff after Big Mike left. Sarah heard him.

"No partying and no slacking today, Jeff. We have a backlog of repair orders to clear."

"Try stopping us," Lester challenged.

"She won't have to. As of now, Ms. Forrest here will be the Lieutenant Assistant Manager of this Buy More. And I strongly suggest you keep me, Sarah and Alex happy." Morgan's announcement had the desired effect on the Buy More employees. They knew Alex could be very intimidating and it would be better not to get to her bad side. They had once witnessed her deal with some obnoxious Mighty Jocks from the sports store next door. She and Anna had kicked serious ass that day. Needless to say, the Mighty Jocks never bothered the denizens of BuyMoria again.

The rest of the day in the Buy More trenches passed quietly. There was quite a bit of work, but the Morgan/Sarah/Alex team ensured the store worked like a well oiled machine. When Sarah's shift ended, she clocked out and went straight to Chuck's store to pick up her equipment from Castle. Since Smith had not yet arrived, she shared a long passionate kiss with Chuck before disappearing downstairs.

She had brought the outfit she had chosen for the mission to Castle in the morning before clocking in at the Buy More. It was an elegant yet comfortable pantsuit and sensible low heeled shoes. As a finishing touch she clipped the gun holster on her belt. Then she gathered the rest of the mission gear she had prepared and went out the back to load the stuff in her Porsche. She drove to an office building across the street from the hotel, broke into an empty office which was being remodeled and started setting up the surveillance equipment. When Smith arrived he approved the set up and hung back to see her at work. He also commented approvingly on her having established a direct link to Castle where the feed from the cameras would be transmitted for recording and processing.

All she had to do now was settle down and wait. She kept watching the hotel, with Smith occasionally taking notes.

"I see him," she said. "The broker has just arrived and he's heading for the bar. I'm going in after him." She picked up her purse and went to the hotel bar, where she took a table in a corner from where she could observe everything and ordered a fruit cocktail. Twenty minutes later, a waiter handed the broker a piece of paper. He studied it and then crumpled it in a ball and threw it at a trash can as he left – and missed. _Amateur_, Sarah thought. She left the bar as well and 'accidentally' dropped something near the trash can. She bent down to pick it up and swiftly grabbed the paper as well. It had a room number written on it. Sarah hurried to the elevators and got in one. Fortunately she was alone and contacted Smith, telling him the location of the mark and that she would try to confirm. Smith gave an affirmative answer and Chuck, who was on the same channel, verified that he was still getting video feed from the miniature camera in her glasses.

Near her mark's room Sarah pondered on how to get a visual on the broker and the traitor. She then happened to notice a maid working in the room next door from the mark's. She ducked inside and hid in the bathroom. She quickly took all her clothes off, except for her panties, wetted her hair, dabbed water on her bare shoulders and wrapped a towel around her body. She checked herself in the mirror and smiled. She looked like she had just come out of the shower. Leaving the bathroom, she came face to face with the maid.

"Oh, excuse me ma'am, I didn't know you were inside," the maid said.

"No problem, I must have forgotten to put the 'do not disturb' sign on the door."

"I'm finished here, so if there is anything else…"

"No, I'm fine, thank you."

As soon as the maid left, Sarah went to the balcony. She climbed on to the ledge and crept towards the balcony of the room next door, keeping her body pressed to the wall, while trying not to look down. She peeked around a corner into the room in time to see the mark kill the broker.

"Did you guys see that?" Sarah asked into her watch communicator, shocked at witnessing a murder in cold blood.

"We saw it," replied Smith. "Try to get a look at the mark's face."

Sarah poked her head further out from the corner and the camera picked up the mark's face, just before he turned to leave the room.

"We got him!" Chuck exclaimed. He immediately ran the facial recognition program and got an ID on the traitor. "Great job Sarah," he said.

"Congratulations Agent Carmichael," added Smith.

"I'm a spy," Sarah said aloud, withdrawing behind cover. The movement caused the towel to fall off, leaving her clinging to the hotel's outside wall wearing only her panties. "I'm a naked spy," she corrected miserably. She ducked back inside 'her' room, got dressed and went across the street to pack up the gear and return it to Castle. Smith congratulated her again and left. Back at their place Chuck and Sarah celebrated her success with a romantic candlelit dinner he had prepared and then went to their room to continue celebrating in the way they liked best.

It was a very happy Sarah who went back to work in the Buy More the following morning. And there she saw something that made her laugh. Jeff and Lester were, as usual, goofing around and not doing any work at all. This time they were playing with Nerf guns chasing each other around the store. Alex had had enough with them, especially when Lester almost knocked over a customer. She grabbed them both by their collars and dragged them to the employees only area.

"That's enough, I've had it with you two idiots," she growled.

"Aw, c'mon, what's wrong with having a little fun while at work?" Lester asked.

"You call this fun? Almost knocking customers over, shooting foam darts around when not everyone is wearing protection, and NOT working at all?"

"You need to learn to relax, sugar," said Lester, patting Alex's butt. Huge mistake. Jeff didn't even have time to start laughing when, in a lightning fast move, Alex grabbed them again and conked their heads together, sending them dazed to the floor before stalking off. Sarah had been leaving the ladies' room when she witnessed the whole scene.

"Serves you two right," she said as she stepped over the fallen men.

"What's going on in here?" Big Mike asked when he saw Jeff and Lester groggily getting up.

"They had some disagreement with Alex, Big Mike," answered Sarah.

"That's it!" Lester exclaimed. "We are going to sue!"

"Sue who?"

"The crazy blonde, you, Morgan, Sarah, the whole store! Being the accused in a number of civil and criminal proceedings has left us _extremely_ litigious."

"Unless you want to get fired, I suggest you refrain from any such action," said Sarah calmly.

"Why's that?"

"Because Alex was acting in self defense, and there is video evidence to prove it," she said, pointing at a security camera. "And you don't want another sexual harassment charge, trust me."

Lester deflated instantly; he knew he had lost the game right there and then. Big Mike just laughed and Sarah went to her locker in the break room, took something and went to find Alex.

"Alex!"

"Hey Sarah, what can I do for you?"

"What was all that about with Jeff and Lester?"

"Nothing, they were totally out of line and had to remind them of some things."

"At least you are adjusting to civilian life, sort of."

"Baby steps."

"More like baby kicks to the groin. Alex, we gotta get you reinstated. Without a license to kill you are a menace to society."

"No argument there."

"I got some news."

"Good news?"

"Yes! I graduated. I'm an agent now, and I owe it in no small part to you."

"You passed?"

"With flying colors."

"Congratulations, Agent Walker."

"Thank you. And because we both know I could not make it this far without you, I got you a present." Sarah gave Alex a box. "They won't miss it."

"You didn't have to," she said, opening it. It was her favorite SIG Sauer. Alex frowned. "You know giving away a government-issue firearm is a felony," she said sternly. Sarah just smiled meaningfully. "A most thoughtful felony," added Alex.

"Come to Chuck's store on your lunch break. I'm buying; Subway foot-longs and fro-yo."

"I wouldn't miss it for the world Sarah." Alex's cheerful demeanor hid a concern of hers. She wasn't completely sure it was all over for Sarah's exam. She tucked the box with the gun tightly under her arm and went to put it in her locker.

In the evening Agent Smith had called Sarah for a debriefing. She took a seat in the main room and waited patiently for her evaluator to speak.

"Agent Carmichael, once again congratulations. You have passed every test I gave you. There is one last thing left to do."

"What is it, Agent Smith?"

"Yesterday's mark has been identified as Hunter Perry, a CIA agent. We believe he killed the broker because he is now able to contact the Ring directly and pass information along. This is his file."

Sarah studied the file, but didn't flash on any of the contents.

"What are we going to do about him?"

"This is where you come in."

"You want me to arrest him?"

"No Agent Carmichael; you are to terminate Hunter Perry with extreme prejudice."

"Terminate with extreme prejudice? Don't you mean 'kill'?"

"I mean exactly that. Tonight you are going to kill him."

"What will happen if I don't?"

"Then you will be dismissed from the NSA and allowed to return to civilian life. Standard procedure."

"I am certain he will be more useful alive, Agent Smith."

"You have your orders, Carmichael. Carry them out, or hand over your badge."

Sarah was torn; she wanted to be an agent and she had used her gun on other people before, but she had only wounded them. She was not a killer, nor did she want to become one. Perry was a murdering traitorous scumbag, but even murdering traitorous scumbags were entitled to a fair trial. This is not how the spy world worked, however.

"OK. I'll do it," she said.

"You made the right choice, Agent Carmichael."

"What do I have to do?"

"Just be at the Union Station in an hour. He will be there as well. Follow him and as soon as he is out of public areas kill him."

"I understand my orders," she said, collected her Smith & Wesson, checked it and went to her car.

Chuck was at home, waiting for Sarah to return from her debriefing. He was starting to think she was running late, which was unusual for her to do without calling. Suddenly his phone rang. He was hoping it was Sarah, but when he looked at the caller ID he saw it was Casey.

"Yes, General?"

"Agent Bartowski, do you know where Agent Walker is?"

"She had a debriefing with Agent Smith. Why is there anything wrong?"

"You told me yesterday that she had passed her final test."

"Yes sir, I did tell you exactly that."

"Then why did Smith inform my office that he had one last test for her?"

"I don't know sir. The mole was identified and… oh shit!"

"Bartowski?"

"Sir, did you inform Smith about Sarah's aversion to killing?"

"I'll check his orders, hold on."

"I will sir."

"Agent Bartowski, there appears to have been a screw-up somewhere along the chain of command. Smith's orders were to give Walker the standard final exam."

"And this includes her Red Test."

"The Red Test Smith is probably giving her right now. He'll have her kill the mole."

"Sir, Sarah can't do it! She'll hesitate and get killed! And if she does it, it'll devastate her and then we'll lose the Intersect too, as she cannot flash when emotional."

"Agent Bartowski, you are to find Smith and Walker and inform them that the Red Test requirement has been waived."

"Yes sir!"

Chuck immediately called Sarah, but the call went straight to voicemail. He couldn't know that Sarah had neglected to recharge her cell phone battery. At least she was wearing her watch with the GPS tracker. He ran out to his car and drove like a madman towards the source of the signal.

In the station Sarah was carefully watching Perry, while trying to remain unnoticed. Her hands were trembling and she hid them in her jacket pockets. She kept looking at the man who would have to die by her hand shortly. She tried to justify her actions; the man had to be stopped before the information he would turn over to the Ring caused the deaths of more good agents, men and women like Chuck and Alex. By killing the mark she would be protecting her friends. _Who am I kidding here, he deserves to die, but I'm not cut out to be an executioner. What am I going to do? What will Chuck think of me if I do kill him? Will he hate me for turning into something else, for becoming a killer? _Sarah's dark and anguished thoughts were interrupted as Perry got up from his seat at the bar and went outside. She followed him discreetly, noting with relief that he was heading for the tracks. There would be no other people at this hour. Good; no witnesses and, more importantly, no innocent civilians to be caught in a crossfire.

It was obvious that Perry wanted to get to the other side of the tracks. It was a good spy tactic, but he didn't know he was already being tailed. When he got between two stopped freight trains, Sarah made up her mind: she would arrest him, turn him over to Casey's people and let them take it from there. She drew her gun and called out to him.

"Freeze!" Perry turned around to face her.

"Who are you?"

"NSA; you are under arrest."

"They sent you to kill me, didn't they? You are one of them!"

"I'll never be one of them and that's why you are officially under arrest instead of being already dead," she said firmly. Perry noted that her hands were shaking slightly as she pointed the gun at him and realized she was a rookie. Seeing an opportunity to get away, he broke into a run.

"I said FREEZE!" Sarah yelled and took off after him. They kept running between the stopped trains, Perry desperately trying to shake his pursuer, Sarah following doggedly behind him. At one point she fired a warning shot into the air, causing him to stumble momentarily, before speeding up again.

Chuck had arrived at the station and was following Sarah's tracker when he heard the shot. He broke into a run, hoping to find her alive and well. At least her tracker showed her still on the move.

Perry's foot caught on a railroad tie and he fell on to the gravel.

"What part of 'you are under arrest' don't you understand?" Sarah asked when she caught up with him.

"Please, you have to believe me, I had no choice. They were going to kill me."

"Bullshit. You were making money out of betraying your country. But now it's all over. You are going to jail," she said harshly. Perry hoped that his terrified expression would distract her as he reached for a gun in his ankle holster. A dead NSA agent would improve his standing with the Ring and make up for the death of the information broker.

The gun was almost out of the holster when a shot rang out and Perry fell dead. Sarah was stunned; she hadn't pulled the trigger. Just to make sure she checked her gun; it was cold and it wasn't smoking. Turning around, she saw Alex, standing behind a locomotive, her SIG Sauer still aimed at Perry's body, smoke coming out of the barrel. They were both about to say something, when they heard someone approaching and Alex disappeared in the shadows.

Chuck saw Sarah standing over a very dead Perry, gun in hand. He ran up to her.

"Sarah?"

"Chuck… I…" She let her gun hand drop to her side as Chuck felt Perry's neck for a pulse and found none. He rose and approached Sarah who was leaning against the locomotive. He didn't say anything and just hugged her.

"You don't know how glad I am to see you safe," he told her. "Go home, I'll call a cleaner team and stay here until they are done." Chuck called a cleaner team and then informed Casey that the mole was dead. He didn't go into details, but the General's sigh was clearly audible.

Sarah walked listlessly into the courtyard. Alex came up beside her.

"How did you know Alex?"

"When you told me you passed, I got suspicious and decided to follow you. Good thing I did."

"Everyone now believes I'm a killer; the General, Smith, even Chuck. They think I killed the mole."

"And it must stay that way Sarah. I'm a civilian, so technically I've committed murder. You have to keep it from Chuck too, lest he be implicated as well."

"Alex?"

"Yes?"

"Thank you."

"Don't mention it, seriously."

When Chuck returned home, he found Sarah curled up in a ball on the couch, looking miserable. He sat down beside her and wrapped her in his arms.

"I know how it feels," he said.

"Was it that bad for you too?"

"My Red Test? It was the first time I killed anyone, but like you, I killed in self defense. That made it a little easier, but it was still hard until I finally got over it."

"What do you mean? About the self defense part?"

"I was there when the cleaners took Perry's body to the Agency morgue. He had a gun Sarah. You were faster, he wasn't; the Quick and the Dead. I'm so glad you were the Quick."

Sarah felt relieved and relaxed in Chuck's arms. Alex had not committed murder. She had saved her life. But nobody should know. As much as it hurt Sarah to lie to the man she loved, she would have to play it to the end. She would have to act like she was coming to terms with taking a life.

"I wish it wouldn't have to go down like this, Chuck."

"I know, Sarah. Believe me, I do. And it's one of the reasons why I love you so much. Wait, didn't you see him drawing his gun?" Chuck's question took her by surprise. She hadn't considered how quickly he caught on to everything. She had to make up a convincing story to cover it up.

"It's all a blur right now, Chuck. It should all come back to me later."

"Shhh… I understand. Now go and try to get some sleep. I love you. Never forget that."

"I love you too Chuck. Good night."

For the next couple of days Sarah continued to play the part of coming to grips with killing someone. It wasn't easy, knowing she didn't do it and what it did to Chuck. To make it more convincing, she had also cut herself off from a lot of intimacy with Chuck, and the period of forced celibacy, however short she intended it to be, was making her incredibly horny. It took all of her willpower not to jump him every time they were together. Alex of course had noticed the change in Sarah's behavior. She was doing a great job selling it, but the cost to her and Chuck was also great. And it was all for her friend. _Damn the torpedoes, all ahead full_, Alex thought. And so, when Sarah had gone to the store with Morgan, she knocked on the door of Casa Walkertowski/Grimes.

"Alex? Come in. Can I get you a drink?" Chuck said.

"That would be nice, thank you."

"Is Jack Daniels straight up good?"

"Great." Alex accepted the drink and took a sip. "Bartowski, we need to talk."

"About what?"

"It's about Sarah. I think I can help."

"I tried, but she insists she needs to get over it by herself. So an intervention from us, no matter how helpful it might be, is really not necessary."

"She didn't kill the mole."

"What?"

"I did. Sarah couldn't pull the trigger. Kid's not a killer; she's just not wired that way, unlike us. Just thought you should know." She downed the rest of her whiskey, put the glass down and turned to leave.

"Alex? Thank you."

"Just make sure she knows, Bartowski. You two deserve a great life together." With that she left to go back to her apartment. Chuck thought about it all for a minute. Smith wasn't there. Casey only had been told a vague outline of the incident. The cleaner team had just picked up the body and left. He knew what he had to do. He ran to Alex's place.

"We need to talk," he told her when she answered the door.

"I'm listening."

"I didn't file a formal report on the incident yet. The General had agreed with me that we shouldn't force her to kill. And we need to let him know that Sarah is OK and the Intersect won't be affected by any 'emotional turmoil'. So, what weapon did you use?"

"I used my SIG. Sarah gave it to me as a thank you present when she thought she had completed her exam, before she was given her Red Test."

"Fortunately the bullet went right through the bastard, so no ballistics is possible."

"Yes, especially since I picked up the spent casing as well."

"So all we need now is to make it look ambiguous, but in a way that Casey will be able to read between the lines."

"You can say you too fired at the mark. You were there, weren't you?"

"That's a fantastic idea!" He went to get his laptop and typed the report:

'_Agent Carmichael gave chase in the station marshaling area__ with the intent of taking the mark in custody for questioning. The undersigned arrived to provide backup while the chase was underway. The mark was cornered near a freight train and attempted to draw a firearm to engage the pursuing Agents. Shots were fired by the Agents in self defense and the mark was terminated. The post mortem examination could not determine which Agent fired the fatal shot, as the wound was through and through and there was no projectile available for a ballistics examination._

_Signed, Charles Bartowski, Special Agent, CIA.'_

Alex read it and nodded. "That's the finest load of crap I've ever seen in an official report, Bartowski. Everyone else will buy it and only the General will know exactly what it means. Send it."

"Done! You don't know how happy I am, Alex. Thanks for protecting her. I'll owe you."

"Friends never keep scores, Bartowski. Go, have a good time."

"We will, thanks again!"

He went home and sat down to wait for Sarah to return. When she did, he grabbed her before she even had the chance to put the groceries down and kissed her long and hard.

"Chuck, what's the matter?" Sarah asked when he finally let her go.

"We got some serious talking to do. Morgan, can you please…"

"Scram, I know. You two have fun!" He gathered all the bags, put them in the kitchen and left. Chuck had tossed him the keys to the Charger, so he could go pick up Alex from UCLA and take her out for a drink or something.

"Chuck?"

"Shut up," he said and kissed her again.

"What is this all about?"

"Forrest told me; she told me that she killed the mole and that you couldn't do it, and that was the best news I ever had, because it meant you acting guilty was just that, an act. Sarah, I know that, no matter what happens, you'll never change. You were, are and always will be Sarah. You are _MY_ Sarah."

Sarah smiled the widest smile he had ever seen her give.

"Come on," he said. "You still owe me the two nights we missed." He scooped her up and carried her to the bedroom.

"I love you, Agent Bartowski."

"I love you, Agent Walker."


	18. Chapter 18 Sarah vs the Bateau Mouche

**A/N:** From your reviews on a previous chapter, I knew you'd like some more Shaw-bashing. Here it is. Enjoy!

I'm sick of writing it every time: the disclaimers never change.

* * *

**Sarah vs the Bateau Mouche**

Alex Forrest rubbed the sleep from her eyes and went to answer the door.

"Sarah? Do you know what time it is? It's not like we got an early shift at the Buy More or anything," she said when she saw who it was.

"Sorry if I woke you up, but I was wondering if you'd like to go for a run with me," Sarah said and Alex noticed that her friend was in sportswear.

"Come on in. Give me a few minutes to change and I'll be right with you."

"OK, I'll wait."

A short while later Alex rejoined Sarah in the living room, ready for the run.

"Why are you up so early Sarah? Bartowski's not giving it to you enough? Surely, if you have that much energy this early in the day, he must be doing something wrong in the sack."

"Is there anything wrong with me wanting to go for an early morning run with a friend?" Sarah asked, ignoring Alex's snide remark. She resisted the urge to say that at least she was getting laid regularly or tease Alex in another way.

"I guess a run would not hurt," Alex said, giving Sarah the evil eye. "C'mon, let's go."

They had been running for half an hour when Sarah spoke again.

"Alex, I was wondering if you could help me with something."

"Is it job related?"

"It is."

"Do you need me to scare Jeff and Lester even more?"

"No, it's about the other job."

"Sarah, I'm a civilian now. I can't get involved."

"No one will know, trust me. We'll do all the work in my place. And there is no hard and fast rule against hiring an outside consultant, especially one with your vast experience. And I can trust you to keep your mouth shut."

"Enough with the ass kissing. What exactly do you want?"

"You already know my Carmichael alias. Chuck wants me to work on some extra aliases, complete with the necessary documents. The problem is, I don't have the time to do it all by myself. This is where you come in."

"OK," Alex said, after thinking it over. "I'll do it."

"You're a life saver, Alex. Thanks!"

After returning from their run and showering, the two women met in Sarah's room and started working on the forged documents Sarah needed.

"Your list seems to be comprehensive Sarah. You haven't forgotten anything."

"That's one less thing to worry about."

"I suggest you vary birth dates and places. Never use your own."

"I know that. See?"

"Great. You can also play with hair and eye color."

"I've done some work with Photoshop. Care to check it out?"

"Sure, why not?" Alex reviewed some doctored photos of Sarah with her hair in different shades of blond, others showing her as a redhead and all with varying eye color. "Well done, but there is definitely something missing here."

"What? Do I need to do more work on the photos?"

"No, they are perfect. It's just… That's it!"

"What?"

"There is no brunette you among these photos."

"Oh no. No, no, no and NO. This is where I draw the line. Me, a brunette? Never happen, not in this lifetime."

"You are a spy now Sarah. You have to improvise, adapt, overcome. And I'm telling you, it's necessary. So suck it up and do it already. Besides, Bartowski may even like it. I think he has a thing for brunettes."

"Alex, stop it; just stop it, OK? I don't need to be reminded about how many times brunettes tried to steal him! He likes me the way I am, anyway."

"Sometimes the job requires you to become something you don't necessarily like. It's spy craft one-on-one."

"Fine," Sarah huffed, "you win. I'll try and make photos of me as a brunette skank."

"Do it."

"Crap, I really look like a slut," Sarah complained when she finished a set. Of course she looked drop dead gorgeous as always, but her recently acquired dislike of brunettes, with the notable exceptions being Ellie and Jill (and a couple of others) was too deeply rooted in her to let her see it.

"Nah, it's OK. Now the names; have you thought of any names for your various personalities?"

"Sure, it was the first thing I did."

'Tell me."

"Okay, they are Jennifer Burton, Katie O'Connell, Rebecca Franco and Eva Anderson."

"Nice names, common enough and will not attract undue attention."

"That's why I picked them."

"You are learning fast."

"Thanks. Now, I think we should prepare the documents so that I will be able to change the photos of me in them before printing."

"Let's do it."

They soon had four full sets of personal documents complete but not yet printed; ID cards, driver's licenses, passports, the works. She would print a set after adding the appropriate photo. And then it was time for them to go to work. As they were leaving, they ran into Jack Walker.

"Daddy!" Sarah exclaimed and hugged him.

'Hello Angel," he said, hugging her back. "And hello to you too, Alex. I was sorry to hear about…"

"It's okay, Mr.-"

"What did I tell you the last time Alex?"

"You told me to just call you Jack; it's OK Jack, I'm doing well now."

"Dad, where have you been?"

"I was working on a government contract. Now the job is finished and I decided to take a few days off and see my kids."

"That's fantastic! Devon and Ellie should be back from the hospital soon. Alex and I have to go to work now. See you later!"

"I'll cook for you guys too. How does chicken with balsamic glaze sound?"

"Dad, it's supposed to be your specialty, but you can't really cook!"

"That's why I'll let the Hamburger Helper do all the heavy lifting, darling."

Sarah laughed and shook her head. She kissed her father goodbye and went to the Herder. When she and Alex entered the Buy More, the place was a madhouse. They went straight to the Assistant Manager's office, a former supply closet which Morgan had remodeled into a small but functional office. They found him on the phone, asking for an expedited shipment of merchandise from a corporate warehouse.

"Morgan, what is going on out there?" Sarah asked.

"There was a clerical error in the district office and they sent us three times the big ticket merchandise we asked for yesterday, so Big Mike got authorization to put the items on sale. It worked. In fact it worked better than we expected and now we need more as we are running out of stock."

"That's good news. Listen, my Dad is in town and he'll be making dinner. You are invited too." And, just to needle Alex, she said "bring your girl too." Predictably, Alex growled menacingly.

"Good, because I'll be too tired to cook after sorting out all this mess here."

"Is there anything you want us to do?"

"You go to the Nerd Herd desk, Skip is all alone there and he needs backup. Alex, go help the other green shirts."

"You got it," the women chorused and went about their assigned tasks. While Sarah dealt with small service jobs and answered customers' questions about computers, cell phones and games, Alex proved she had not lost her touch as a salesperson and quickly sold a Beast Master. Big Mike went to congratulate her and frowned when he noticed her outfit.

"Well, Blondie Green, you are the best salesperson I've got, but why are you out of regulation uniform?" He pointed at the skirt she was wearing in lieu of the usual pants.

"I had a laundry accident, Big Mike, and Sarah gave me this skirt to wear; it's Buy More colors too." Her boss shrugged. The fact that the skirt showed off her shapely legs would not hurt her sales performance anyway.

"OK, I think I can afford to turn a blind eye to an infraction that's not really an infraction. Again, good job and keep it up."

"I will."

At lunchtime both Sarah and Alex went to Chuck's store. Alex plopped down in a comfortable beach chair and sighed. Sarah kissed Chuck and gave him the lunchbox she'd made for him.

"So ladies, how are things today?"

"Hectic," answered Alex. "On the plus side, I sold another Beast Master."

"Congratulations. And you, Sarah?"

"Just the usual. No installs or offsite service calls though."

They had a quiet and thoroughly pleasant lunch. Chuck and Sarah consciously avoided discussing spy stuff, knowing it would be akin to rubbing salt in Alex's wounds to have such a discussion there, in the cover business above Castle. Sarah also told Chuck about her father being home, which elicited a big smile. She knew that Chuck and Jack had become fast friends. In fact Jack was secretly hoping that one day he would give his daughter's hand in marriage to Chuck, but neither he nor Sarah knew it.

As Sarah and Alex left to get back to work, disaster struck. Well, it was not so much a disaster as a display of nerdy clumsiness which even spy training and the Intersect 2.0 combined seemed unable to completely eradicate. Sarah was busy reading a brochure she'd taken from the SD&M and did not see where she was going. Thus, she ended up with a sprained ankle. Fortunately, it was a very mild sprain and she could still walk, albeit a bit painfully. She hobbled back to the Buy More, favoring her left ankle, declining Alex's offer of support. Big Mike noticed she was hurt and immediately assigned an install to another Herder, instead of sending Sarah on that job as he originally intended. He also ordered her to the break room and Alex took a chemical ice pack from the first aid cabinet, activated it and placed it on Sarah's ankle.

"Keep it on for twenty minutes and then you can go back to the Nerd Herd desk."

"OK, thanks Alex."

"You are welcome." Alex paused while on her way to the sales floor and called Chuck, giving him a rundown on Sarah's injury and telling him to buy some ice packs for her.

Morgan, Sarah and Alex were closing up the Buy More. The day had been very profitable, as the store moved a large volume of expensive merchandise. Corporate had been pleased enough to award bonuses to the managerial team and authorize them to do the same for the rest of the staff as they saw fit. In the end everyone except for Jeff and Lester, who'd had the day off anyway, got a bonus.

"How's the ankle Sarah?" Morgan asked.

"Better. The ice packs helped and I took some painkillers too."

"Try not to put weight on it," said Alex.

"It doesn't hurt."

"It doesn't hurt because the painkillers have not worn off yet. Trust me, it'll heal faster if you keep your weight off it."

"That can be arranged," said Chuck, coming up behind them and sweeping Sarah off her feet and into his arms.

"Chuck!" Sarah yelped, a little startled.

"I'm right here, baby. Alex, Morgan, you guys take the Herder."

"You got it dude. See you at home."

The atmosphere in Casa Walkertowski/Grimes was festive. Jack had managed to make a good meal and the conversation was light hearted. Alex Casey had also been introduced to Sarah's and Devon's father and the two instantly liked each other.

"You know Chuck," the senior Walker said at one point, "You and Sarah remind me a lot of me and my wife."

"Really Jack? In a good way I hope."

"Oh yeah. I was a cocky engineer back then and she was this beautiful, confident young CIA agent who was assigned to watch over me while I worked on an Agency project – you know what I'm talking about. At first it wasn't easy between us; we drove each other crazy all the time, she with her stupid restrictions and I with my disregard for regulations."

"Sounds a lot like the two of us," Sarah said, smiling and holding Chuck's hand.

"Wait, Mom was an agent?" Devon asked.

"She was, son. Eventually she succumbed to the Walker Charm, as I knew she would."

"What happened?" Ellie asked.

"We became a couple. We got married and when Devon came, she quit her job and decided to be just a wife and mother. It was the happiest time of our lives, even more when Sarah was born. We felt we had everything." Jack had a faraway expression on his face now as he remembered the past. "We loved each other and had two beautiful kids. Unfortunately we had not foreseen that our pasts might one day catch up with us. Hers did first, an old case which had never been fully closed. Sam understood that her past could endanger us all, so she left. She told me she would come back when it would all be wrapped up."

"Dad, that was twenty years ago."

"I know darling. I know. As it turns out the threat was far greater than we could imagine. I like to think that Sam is somewhere out there, watching our backs."

"Have you kept in contact with her, Jack?"

"No Chuck, she felt it would be safer if we kept clear of each other until it was over. When I had to leave Devon and Sarah, I decided to find Sam and help her. Then we would go back to our kids and live a normal life." Jack's story had Sarah, Ellie and the younger Alex teary eyed. The others were somber and silently processing their new knowledge.

"So all those years, you were looking for Mom?"

"Yes Devon, I was and still am. Ever since I dropped off grid, I've been working as a self employed spy with only one goal: Find Sam and bring her back to Devon and Sarah, so that we will again be a family."

"Jack, I'd be honored to help, if you'd like," Forrest said.

"I appreciate the offer Alex-"

"Same here. Sarah and I will do anything to help," Chuck interrupted.

"That's right Daddy. I want Mom back. Even after all those years, I still miss her."

"Dad, anything you want, _anything_, just tell us and we'll do it," said Devon.

"Jack, we are all in this now, up to our ears," added Ellie.

"OK. If I need your help, I'll tell you. Morgan, Alex, I'd rather keep you out of all this."

"Jack, your daughter has been like a sister to me ever since we were six years old. Count me in," Morgan said resolutely.

"And I have a feeling that my Dad would be glad to help," added Alex.

"Alex, there are things that even your father doesn't know. You better stay out of this. I know your dad personally and I know when and how to contact him if I'll need anything."

"Okay."

After dinner Sarah and Devon showed Chuck pictures of their mother from old family photo albums. He wanted to meet Samantha Walker. If anything, he knew where Sarah had gotten her wild side from.

"Dad," Sarah said, "did Mom have a fancy CIA codename?"

"She did, Angel. It was Valkyrie."

"Valkyrie? Valkyrie is a legend in the Company!" Chuck exclaimed. "Wow, I'm dating Valkyrie Junior!"

"I've heard of her too," said Alex. "Legend is putting it mildly. Valkyrie and Orion… they were the best of the best."

"Sarah? Are you OK?" Ellie asked.

"Yes, yes, I'm fine. I just flashed on Mom's file. A lot of data has been redacted, but… wow. Just wow."

"I'm sure she's proud of you Sarah," said Chuck.

"Me, I'm not so sure. In fact I bet she wants to kick your ass."

"Why's that, Alex?"

"Aw, c'mon. She is CIA and you're NSA. There is no love lost between the agencies, as you very well know." Everybody laughed.

"Now, this is something I'd like to see, especially since Sam missed Sarah's teenage years and the fights that go with them; a mother-daughter grudge match."

"Any predictions as to who would win, Jack?"

"Tough call. But my money's on Sam."

"You'd lose, Daddy."

"Cheater."

"What? I wouldn't call it cheating!"

Since Morgan had taken his girlfriend (who did not know about the Intersect) home, the debate raged about whether it would be cheating or not if Sarah used the skills the 2.0 could provide in a grudge match with her mom. The matter was left unsettled when they decided to call it a night.

The following morning, Chuck and Jack were in Castle, having a briefing with General Casey. Devon had ordered Sarah to stay home and rest her ankle.

"Mr. Walker, Agent Bartowski, you may be wondering why I called for this briefing. By the way, where is Agent Walker?"

"She suffered a mild ankle sprain yesterday, sir. Dr. Walker prescribed some rest as a precaution."

"I see. Well, we can proceed with the day's order of business without her. Mr. Walker, we intercepted some plans."

"Plans, General?"

"Yes, they were schematics for a Cipher. I would like you to go over them and give me your opinion."

"I'd be glad to."

"Thank you. As for you, Agent Bartowski, you will work with some CIA agents to infiltrate a Ring facility where we believe they were going to assemble the Cipher."

"Sir, the Ring is interested in the Intersect? Didn't they learn from Fulcrum's failure?"  
"It appears they believe they can do one better. All the necessary information has been already sent to you. Mr. Walker, I expect a report on that Cipher at your earliest convenience. Agent Bartowski, good hunting. That will be all."

"Well, Jack, it seems we have our work cut out for us," Chuck said after Casey had signed off.

"Yes. Chuck, I'll stay here and study the file. I'll go home when I'm done."

"OK. I guess I'd better get ready for tonight's mission."

-o-

"Chuck, I'm coming with you!"

"No, you are not!"

"You can't go in alone!"

"I wont be alone Sarah. I'll have some CIA agents with me."

"It doesn't feel right. At least let me stay in the van and do the video surveillance stuff."

"Morgan, some help here, please."

"Sarah's right dude. You need her. She might flash on something and save you and the others from a helluva lot of trouble."

"Come on, Chuck, you won't even have to tell them you have backup."

"OK, I'll agree on one condition only."

"I accept."

"I didn't say what condition."

"I don't care. I'll do it the way you want."

"Fine, but stay in the van means that you stay in the van no matter what."

"Deal."

"I'll drive."

"No, Morgan, you stay here. You are not an agent."

"Chuck, Sarah's ankle still hurts a bit. I'll drive and stay in the van with her."

"We'll be fine Chuck; we'll stay out of trouble, I promise."

"OK. OK, you can both come."

-o-

"Dude, this is like a hundred times cooler than Loretta!"

"Who's Loretta?"

"It's Jeff's creepy stalker van. Whatever he doesn't guzzle down his throat he spends on spy gear."

Chuck ordered Morgan to park the van out of sight of the Ring facility he and the other CIA agents would raid. He was a bit annoyed to find out that the team leader on this op was none other than one Daniel Shaw. The two men had an intense dislike for each other, but they were both consummate professionals and right now their feelings took a back seat. They had a mission to do. Shaw appeared to have all bases covered and the team seemed competent enough. Still, Chuck was glad that Shaw would be unaware of Sarah's involvement.

"So, Bartowski, what do you know about the Intersect?"

"Not much, Shaw," Chuck lied. "The CIA/NSA ones were destroyed and Fulcrum's was an expensive and spectacular failure. I don't know why we need to bother with this one. From what I've heard it's impossible for a person to upload it all."

"Still, the higher-ups want this one neutralized too. You never know if the Ring can make a breakthrough."

"Makes sense, I guess. Are you ready?"

"Ready. Let's go people!"

Shaw led the team inside. He would tap into the building security system and loop the cameras, while the rest of the team would find and destroy the Intersect hardware.

"Shaw, do you copy?" Chuck asked at one point.

"What is it?"

"The place is empty. No hardware matching the description you gave us."

"Keep looking. No hostiles near you so far."

"Copy that."

"Looks almost like a trap," said another agent."

"Or we're just too late," said Chuck. Sarah was on a separate channel and told Chuck it was all clear ahead. She had tapped into the feed Shaw was sending to his mobile base and could see everything he saw.

"Anything?" Shaw asked impatiently.

"Nope. They already moved it, if they ever had it in here. Wait, I see some boxes here."

"Investigate."

"Roger that. Guys, form a perimeter. Timmons, come with me. Let's take a look at what's inside those boxes."

"Bartowski, is this what I think it is?"

"Yep. It's a Cipher mockup. It seems they were going to build a full size mockup of an Intersect terminal here. No, wait… These parts are real."

"Shit, I've got company! Team, abort!" Shaw's voice came in their earpieces.

While Shaw fought three Ring agents, Chuck led the team out of the facility and back to the truck they were using as a base of operations. Some Ring agents threatened to cut them off near the exit, but Shaw surprised them from behind and gunned them down.

"The charges are set in the storeroom, Shaw," reported Chuck.

"Good. Let's get out of here, looks like we're outnumbered and outgunned. Timmons, call for a tactical team to clear the area."

-o-

"General, the tactical team found no one in the facility. Even the dead had been evacuated. Their stock of Intersect parts was destroyed."

"Good job, Agent Bartowski."

"General?"

"Yes, Mr. Walker?"

"The Ring's version of the Cipher is based on the Fulcrum model. They attempted to improve on it, and in fact corrected some of its flaws, but it's still not up to the required standard."

"Did you notice anything else?"

"Yes sir, we did. Mr. Walker and I have discovered that some of the components have been made in Paris."

"Agent Shaw has reported similar findings. It seems he and you will have to go to Paris and locate the Ring's contractor there."

"Yes sir. When do we leave?"

"As soon as possible."

Chuck had gone home to pack for the trip to Paris. Sarah was instantly jealous of him, as she had always wanted to go there, but he calmed her by promising to take her to the City of Light for a vacation. They both had leave time they could take, so she reluctantly accepted the offer.

With Chuck gone, she just sprawled on the couch, applying another ice pack to her ankle. It was merely an overkill Ellie had insisted upon, as she was fine now. But the doctors had told her to take it easy lest it get worse. So she relaxed and invited Morgan to see the recordings she had made off the video surveillance.

"We have a problem," Morgan said, while viewing Shaw's fight with the Ring agents.

"What do you mean?"

"Shaw's with the Ring."

"What?"

"Sarah, I've watched every Hong Kong fight film ever made. I can spot a fake fight sequence from a mile away. Look closely," he said, rewinding and slowing the video. "He pulled that punch and that roundhouse didn't even land."

"Oh crap! Chuck is heading right into a Ring trap! We gotta get in touch with General Casey."

Unfortunately, Sarah could not get through to the General. She didn't know it, but there had been a technical problem in the NSA communications hub through which the calls were normally routed.

"I have to go to Paris, Morgan. There is no other way. Chuck's flight left only an hour ago, so there is still time. I'll have to go solo on this one buddy."

"No, there is another."

A minute later, Sarah and Morgan were explaining the situation to Alex Forrest.

"Sorry Sarah, I can't help you. I'm not a spy."

"You are a spy, Alex," Sarah said emphatically. "You're the ultimate spy!"

"Was, Sarah, was. But the woman's been Buy More'd. That's right. You deluded yourself into thinking that the Buy More is your life. But wake up, Alex, okay? We need you to get on this plane. Sarah needs you to get on this plane. And if not, well, you know, find yourself Friday night with Jeff and Lester's crew and the other losers hanging out in Woodland Hills. I know this because I was that guy. But Chuck, and Sarah, and _you_, Forrest; you showed me I can be so much more. That I'm meant for something, to be a spy. What about you? What do you have left in your tank? What do you want to be when you grow-" Morgan never finished the phrase as Alex slammed him to the wall. Sarah tensed, ready to intervene and protect her best friend.

"Morgan," Alex growled, "go to my closet and get me my suit. The black one." Incredibly, she smiled at Sarah as Morgan scampered off upstairs.

Later, Sarah and Alex were sitting together in coach on the flight to Paris. They used the passports Sarah had forged; for this mission Sarah was Eva Anderson and Alex was Alison Foster. Sarah was studying Shaw's file intently. She flashed on several parts of it.

"You flashed again," whispered Alex.

"Yeah, but it's a ten year old operation. There is nothing in here to help us find Chuck."

"Sarah, focus. Forget about the Intersect. Forget about becoming a spy. Before all of that, you were smart. You're going to take this intel, you're gonna figure out where Chuck is. That's what you have to do."

"Where are you Chuck?" Sarah mused.

In Paris, Chuck and Shaw stopped at a café, ostensibly to meet a contact of Shaw's.

"You know it wasn't easy, Bartowski."

"What?"  
"Getting you here," Shaw said, pointing a gun at Chuck. Three more men appeared as if on cue.

"Agent Bartowski," said the oldest of the three, "I see you met my latest Ring agent."

"You are the Ring Director," said Chuck as one of the goons relieved him of his weapon, which he gave to Shaw, and bound his hands with zip ties.

"Yes. You have caused us quite a lot of trouble."

"And I can cause you even more."

"Would you be interested in a job offer with us instead? The perks and fringe benefits are quite substantial, as Daniel here can undoubtedly confirm."

"Screw you."

"You were right, Shaw," the Director said. "We can't turn him. I had to try though. Too bad, Agent Bartowski, you leave me no choice but to kill you."

"I'd like to do that," Shaw said. "Consider it payback for all the trouble you caused me, Bartowski." Chuck just snorted in contempt.

The Ring director and his men left after Shaw gave them some documentation about the Intersect 2.0 he had stolen from the CIA.

"Fancy a swim in the Seine, Bartowski?" Shaw taunted.

"I prefer swimming in the sea."

"So do I," said Sarah, coming up behind Shaw, gun drawn and aimed at the back of his head. "You are under arrest, Shaw."

"Walker… You expect the asset to save you Bartowski?"

"That's right, you haven't heard; I'm an agent now," she said. Suddenly they heard gunfire and shouts in the distance.

"I see you brought Forrest."

"Yes, and she's taking care of your new director. Stand up!"

"You should kill me now."

"Stand the fuck up! You are under arrest."

"Not smart," he said and turned, knocking the Smith & Wesson from her hand. Sarah flashed on martial arts and started fighting Shaw. She got in an uppercut and sent him crashing into Chuck. Seizing the opportunity, Shaw drew his own gun and rested the barrel on Chuck's head.

"Don't move or he dies," he threatened. Sarah was now scared and stood still. Shaw disappeared with Chuck around a corner. Pulling herself together, she recovered her gun and ran after them to a bridge spanning the Seine.

"Shaw!"

"I told you to stay put."

"And I told you that you are under arrest! You don't want to add murder to your rap sheet. You can't kill a federal agent and get away with it."

"No Walker. I can. You can't," he said and raised his gun. Sarah was faster and pulled the trigger twice, shooting Shaw in both shoulders, shattering the bones and incapacitating him.

"Yippee-Ki-Yay, motherfucker," she said, causing Chuck to laugh. Shaw dropped to his knees in shock, the gun hanging useless from his hand until Sarah kicked it away. Moving to Chuck she quickly cut him loose and hugged him, still keeping an eye on Shaw. Chuck then took his .45 back.

Later, they had delivered Shaw to a CIA team from the Embassy. Meanwhile Alex was in another café, nonchalantly typing away on a laptop computer.

"Alexandra," Casey said once the video link was established, "what do I owe the pleasure to? Is there a sale at the Buy More I should know about, since unfortunately you no longer work for me?" Alex smiled smugly and brought the unconscious Ring Director into the webcam's field of view.

"How about my little friend here, the Ring Director? He's on sale."

"What do you want for him, Alexandra?"

"A full reinstatement; my old rank back and new equipment; I also have a request you may not like."

Morgan Grimes got a call from General Casey, offering him a position as a full member of Operation Walker. Naturally, he accepted immediately. He could not thank Casey enough, so the General just hung up on him.

When they were done with the formalities, Chuck took Sarah for a tour of Paris on a Bateau Mouche, one of the tourist boats plying the Seine.

"You like it?"

"I can't believe I'm finally visiting Paris, with the man I love no less."

"Talk about mixing business with pleasure. Thanks for saving my ass back there."

"That ass of yours belongs to me," she said playfully and pinched him. "I was merely protecting my property."

"Really? As I recall, _your_ pretty ass is _my_ property."

"Not any more, it isn't. The tattoo is no longer there."

"I love your twisted sense of humor Agent Walker."

"Is that all you love in me, Special Agent Bartowski?"

"CHARLES IRVING BARTOWSKI!" The voice came from behind them as he was about to answer Sarah's question with a passionate kiss. He whirled around to face the woman who had called out to him.

"Mom? Oh shit! Dad? What are you doing here?"

"I'm asking the questions here, young man," Mary Elizabeth Bartowski said, grabbing her son by the ear.

"Ow, Mom, I'm not seven any more!"

"Can you explain what kind of Special Agent you are? And is that a gun you are carrying? What have you not been telling me?"

"Mom, keep your voice down, OK? Dad, a little help here, please?"

"Mary, Chuck didn't tell us about his job because he knew how you'd react."

"You knew, Stephen?"

"Not everything, but I know Charles works for the federal government. Chuck, to answer your question, your mother and I are here as tourists. Oh, hello Sarah. Nice to finally meet you. My son has told me a lot about you."

"Hi Mr. Bartowski," Sarah said shyly. "Nice meeting you and Mrs. Bartowski."

"Call me Mary, Sarah dear," Mary said, her anger temporarily forgotten. "Sorry to interrupt you and my son, but…"

"I understand. I guess I'd be mad too if my son hid things from me."

"So you are not merely his girlfriend? You work together?"

"We met on the job and fell in love along the way. We now live together in Burbank too."

"My boy is in a steady relationship with a girl? That's a first." Mary enthusiastically embraced Sarah. "Stephen, Charles, you are not yet off the hook. But tonight we celebrate. Sarah, how about a double date for a late dinner?"

"I'd love to, right Chuck?"

"You better do as your mother says," added Stephen. Chuck had no choice but to acquiesce.

The dinner on the riverboat was very pleasant and Sarah came to like Chuck's parents a lot. She went so far as to say that Stephen and her father would really like each other when they would get to meet. Mary was beaming and was by Sarah's side all the time. She already regarded the girl as a daughter. When the band started playing a tango, Stephen and Mary got up to dance and suggested that Chuck and Sarah do the same. With no other choice, Sarah promptly flashed on tango dancing and moved to the dance floor with Chuck. Stephen and his son switched partners as the elder Bartowski wanted a dance with his future daughter in law (he also saw Chuck's and Sarah's love heading towards marriage). Switching back to the original partners, the two couples continued dancing. Sarah was in seventh heaven.

"I have something special for you tonight," Chuck said in her ear.

"What can be more special than that?"

"We aren't going to stay in a hotel tonight."

"Where are we going to stay?"

"I have an old friend who lives here in Paris. We can stay in his houseboat."

"He has a houseboat?"

"Yes, it used to be an old cargo barge. He now uses it as a guesthouse."

"It's so like Highlander! I already love the idea!"

"Nerd."

"I love you too Chuck."

A middle aged woman stood unseen in the shadows on the deck outside, watching the scene inside the boat's restaurant. She was looking fondly at a tall young blonde who was dancing happily with a lanky curly haired man. When the boat docked, she turned away, wiped a single tear from her face and hurriedly made her way down the gangplank. She then disappeared into the rush of people on the riverbank.


	19. Chapter 19 Sarah vs the Eurotrip

**A/N:** Having finally overcome my temporary (thankfully) case of writer's block, I managed to complete Chapter 19.

As always, thank you all for your encouraging reviews.

Of course all appropriate standard disclaimers continue to apply.

* * *

**Sarah vs the Eurotrip**

Sarah woke up in the houseboat's bed and stretched lazily. She heard Chuck on the deck talking to someone in French. She had learned French in high school and had been quite fluent in it, but it had been ages since she had last spoken it, so, instead of trying to remember it, she chose the easy way and flashed on it. Now she could follow the conversation. Apparently Chuck was paying for a delivery.

"Hey, you're awake," he said, coming back inside and heading for the kitchen.

"Mmmm," was her only reply.

"Breakfast?" Chuck asked, coming to the bed with a tray. It contained coffee and freshly baked pastries, which smelled delicious. She got up and wrapped a sheet around her naked body. Taking the tray from Chuck's hands, she set it aside and pulled him in for a kiss.

"Now we can have breakfast," she said. "Any other plans for today, besides fattening me with delicious European pastries?"

"I was thinking about taking you to the Eiffel Tower, the Louvre and a stroll down the Champs-Élysées before taking my parents to the airport. They are due to fly back to the US this afternoon. So eat up, you'll need the energy."

"Sounds like a great plan to me." And they followed it to the letter. They said goodbye to Chuck's parents at Charles De Gaulle Airport. It was a somewhat touching scene, especially considering the affection Stephen and Mary had for Sarah and they showed it. They had known their son's girlfriend for less than a day and they already considered her part of the family.

"Your parents are really great Chuck," she said as they were returning to their rental car.

"They are. Poor Dad…" he said.

"Huh?"

"My Dad; now that Mom knows what I do for a living he isn't going to hear the end of it for keeping it from her. She knows how to hold a grudge sometimes. Same goes for me the next time I go to visit them."

"Don't worry about him, he'll be just fine."

"How can you be so sure?"

"I told him to try charming Mary out of her anger. You know, romantic dinner, the famous Bartowski Eyebrow Dance, I know you learned that from him by the way, and a relaxing massage. The rest will be left unsaid."

"Devious."

"Not really. Mary is a lot like my Mom as I remember her. Every time she got mad at Dad, he would do something romantic for her and she would forgive him. And all that meant more play time with Morgan at his place for me."

"You are just like them Sarah. You are a romantic person too."

"Then romance me, lover."

"Mission accepted. We, Ms. Walker, are going on vacation."

"Come again?"

"V-a-c-a-t-i-o-n."

"Where?"

"Right here in Europe. We leave tomorrow. Any suggestions for tonight's entertainment?"

"Sure, we can go to the Hard Rock Café. For starters."

"An excellent idea, Sarah."

"Won't General Casey object on us going off on…?"

"No, he didn't object. We both have accumulated leave time and he told me we can use up as much of it as we want when I asked him for some time off. He will call us in only in case of a major emergency. I also called Forrest this morning and informed her of our plans. By the way, she was fully reinstated. Kudos to you for bringing her in on the operation."

"I couldn't have done it without Morgan. He was instrumental in getting her out of her funk and back in the game."

"I'll thank him too when we get back home. Right now I need to secure us some transportation."

"We have a rental car, which _you_ have been driving, in case you haven't noticed."

"I can do one better," he said, without offering an explanation on how he was planning to do it. Instead, he took out his phone and dialed a number.

"Who are you calling?" Her question remained unanswered.

"Hey Frank, how are you buddy? Yeah, it's Chuck… Long time no see… Listen Frank, I need a favor, assuming you are still living in France… You are? Good. Do you have any contacts you can trust in Paris? ...I'm asking because I need a car… No, not for the job, I'm on vacation with my girl… No, you haven't met her… Sarah, Frank says hi."

"Tell him I say hi too."

"Did you hear that Frank? OK… Yeah, I'm listening… I know the place… Got it, thanks Frank… Take care, pal!"

"Chuck, who is this Frank?"

"Frank Martin? He's a buddy of mine, ex-special forces and a great guy. I met him just before he retired. He lives in the south of France now. Come on, let's go get our car."

"How…"

"He owes me a few favors. What?"

"Nothing, I just flashed on him. You are right; he is one of the good guys."

"You flashed on him?"

"Yup. I was practicing on flashing on intel at will, like I do with the skills flashes."

"Sarah, no flashes now, we are on vacation."

"Is it OK if I flash on language skills?"

"It is acceptable."

It was still morning in Burbank when Devon ran to answer the ringing phone.

"Hello?"

"Hey big brother!"

"Sarah? Where did you disappear to?"

"I had an emergency at work."

"Is everything OK?" Devon asked, realizing that Sarah did not mean the Buy More.

"Yeah, I got some vacation time as a bonus."

"That's awesome, sis. So, where are you?"

"Right now I'm in Paris with Chuck."

"Paris? You are in Paris?"

"Devon, who is in Paris?" Ellie asked, coming out of the bathroom.

"Sarah is in Paris with Chuck, babe."

"What? Give me the phone! Sarah? What are you doing there?"

"Hi Ellie," replied Sarah. "I came to Paris to help Chuck on a work assignment. It's over now and we took some time off. Put Devon back on the phone please."

"I'm here sis."

"Devon, remember when I used to tell you I wanted to go backpacking across Europe? Well, bro, the dream is coming true, sort of. Chuck got us a car so we'll be driving, which is a lot better. No hitchhiking or waiting for buses and trains. Tell Dad and Morgan not to expect us home for a few days. I promise to call every day. Oh, and I almost forgot; Alex got her job back."

"That's massively awesome. Enjoy your vacation little sis. You've earned it. Did you call the Buy More to let Big Mike know?"

"Crap! I totally forgot!"

"No need to worry sis. I'll tell Morgan. He'll take care of it."

"Captain, you are the best! Gotta go now. I'll call you again tomorrow."

"OK, have fun."

They picked up the car, an Audi Allroad Quattro, and drove around Paris on an impromptu sightseeing tour.

"Chuck?" Sarah asked.

"Yes?"

"What if I flash on anyone or anything? What do we do then?"

"I discussed the matter with the General. We'll call him and await orders if it's a national security matter. Otherwise, the General's office will alert Interpol or the local intelligence agencies through the appropriate channels."

"All right, sounds good enough. Personally, I hope I won't flash. I'd hate for our vacation to be ruined."

"Me too."

At the Buy More, Morgan was nervous. He was hoping Big Mike wouldn't notice Sarah's absence. Alex was already there, having flown aboard an NSA jet from Paris to LA.

"Grimes, we need to talk," she said quietly when the Burbank Buy More assistant manager happened to drift her way.

"What is it, Major?" His voice was a whisper, but his tone communicated respect for the woman who was now officially his superior in the spy business.

"Look, you may be officially on the team now, but we need to keep up appearances here. Call me Alex as usual."

"OK, Alex, what can I do for you?"

"Walker and Bartowski are taking a vacation. Take care of the paperwork for Walker's leave."

"Is it a real vacation or a cover for an assignment? They deserve a real vacation as they have the fate of the world resting in their hands all the time."

"I'd say they have something else resting in their hands right now."

"Huh?"

"Bartowski's on vacation with Walker. Do the math."

"Um…"

"He's gonna need a walker when Walker's through with him."

"Come again?"

"Walker's dipping her chocolate into Bartowski's peanut butter. They are having intercourse, idiot."

"Oh, got it, say no more. Leave Big Mike to me."

"Grimes!"

"Speak of the Devil," Morgan whispered to Alex. He then turned to face Big Mike. "What can I do for you Boss?"

"Find out why Walker's delectable ass is so tardy!"

"I gave her a few days off yesterday, sir. She needed a vacation." Morgan managed to keep a straight face as he told the lie.

"Now that you mention it, she does have a lot of accumulated leave time. When can we expect her back?"

"I gave her a week off, with an extension option."

"I'm happy for her, but the Nerd Herd is going to go to Hell without a competent supervisor."

"Big Mike, can I make a suggestion?"

"Go ahead, Blondie Green."

"I think Skip Johnson can take over Sarah's duties until she returns. I suggest you make him acting Nerd Herd supervisor."

"And you expect those dimwits, Jeff and Lester, to listen to him?"

"I won't leave them any other choice, Boss."

"She's a good LAM, sir," added Morgan.

"LAM? Oh, you mean Lieutenant Assistant Manager. Yes, she definitely is. As it appears you have everything under control, I have to go and take care of some business. You hold the fort here."

"Does Big Mike have business with some fat cats from corporate?"

"No Alex, he has business with some fat cat_fish_ in the lake. Between you and me, he deserves the break. Ever since he returned as manager he's been working non-stop."

"He has?"

"With the necessary breaks for naps, pastries and Subway delicacies," said Morgan seriously. Alex laughed and clapped him on the back.

"Then let's get busy. I have two utter morons to terrorize. I need to keep in shape for interrogations and stuff, y' know."

"I like your approach."

The dawn of their second morning in the houseboat found Chuck and Sarah sleeping soundly, their bodies entwined. The alarm clock woke them up at nine o'clock.

"Chuuuuck… turn it off," she mumbled sleepily. Chuck hit the snooze button to give them another ten minutes. After that interval the clock blared again, louder.

"Grrrrrr…" Sarah growled. "Where is a knife when you need one?"

"Rise and shine sleepyhead," Chuck said and prodded her with a finger.

"No, I just wanna sleep… Shoot the damned clock, please."

"You leave me with no choice Sarah," he said and kissed her. She was responding to the kiss before she even realized it.

"I can't complain if you keep waking me up like this every day," she said, locking her still sleep fogged eyes with his.

"Come on Sarah, get up."

"What are the plans for today?"

"We'll take a nice warm shower together and then we'll go for breakfast to a café. After that we'll pack our stuff and drive on to… say… Normandy?"

"You know, my grandfather landed in Normandy with the 82nd Airborne Division."

"Really? Mine landed on Omaha Beach with the Big Red One."

"Okay, two destinations determined."

"From Normandy I suggest we drive to Strasbourg and then to Stuttgart."

"And after Stuttgart?"

"The choice is yours; south to Switzerland or north to Denmark and the Low Countries."

"I prefer Switzerland."

"Switzerland it is."

They set out early, after returning the key to the houseboat to its owner. The trip to Normandy would have been uneventful save for Sarah's uncanny, as it seemed, tendency to attract trouble like a magnet. They had just done some sightseeing in Rouen and were enjoying a quiet lunch at a small restaurant by the freeway when a busload of rowdy Englishmen arrived.

"What the…" Chuck said, hearing the sudden noise.

"Soccer hooligans," replied Sarah. "Just ignore them."

The soccer fans piled in the restaurant and the first thing they did was to order beer (naturally). Then their leader saw Sarah sitting at a table in a corner.

"Hello love," he said after coming to the table, "how about you ditch the Frog here and have some fun with real men?"

"Listen pal, all we want is to finish our lunch and then get back on the road. We don't want any trouble," Chuck said, trying to defuse the situation before it got out of hand as he saw a furious Sarah flash. And he knew it was a martial arts flash.

"What have we got here? Chaps, it looks like a couple of bloody Yanks!"

"That's right," continued Chuck, while Sarah was trying hard to restrain herself. "Where are you folks heading to?"

"We are going to Lorient, to see the team kick the shit out of those Gallic fucking garlic-breath tossers."

"Oh, I don't know," Sarah said acidly, "FC Lorient has a good team. So, I would be rather more reserved if I were you."

"You know about soccer, lass?"

"Not much, but enough to realize you don't stand a chance in the game. Especially considering your humiliating defeat by PSG last month."

"Lads, the tart is giving us attitude!"

"OK, that's enough," Chuck said angrily. "You'll apologize to the lady and do it right now!"

"Or else what, you wanker? She really needs to learn some manners." The Englishman made the mistake of putting his hand on the back of Sarah's neck.

"Or else this," Sarah growled, getting up and delivering an elbow and a spin kick to the man's head, sending him crashing into a nearby table. One of the other hooligans came at Sarah swinging a chain, which she easily avoided and decked him with a rabbit punch to the kidneys and a knee to the face.

"Gentlemen," said Chuck, "I believe this little 'incident' should end right now. What you saw is just a hint of the things she's capable of. And I'm not bad at kicking ass, even if I say so myself. So please, for your own good, take these two back to the bus and be on your way. First, you'll compensate the owner of this place for all the damage you caused, OK?"

They had no choice but to do as Chuck said. As two of them helped their barely conscious leader to the bus, Sarah on impulse took his scarf.

"To the victor go the spoils," she said. Nobody dared object.

"I'd never imagine you adopting European soccer hooligan habits, Sarah."

"We are in Europe Chuck. And this will look good in my trophy case at home."

"I think we should get out of here before we find ourselves in trouble with the local law. You go get the car; I'll take care of the check."

In fact they wouldn't get in any trouble, as the restaurant's owner assured them. The owner's teenage son had been filming the fight scene and declared that the video would be an instant hit on Youtube. Mindful of the need to avoid publicity, Sarah flashed on French and explained that she and Chuck were FBI agents working with Interpol and got the kid to agree not to put the video on the web. The thank you kiss she planted on the teenager's cheek left him with a goofy grin on his face that was still there when the couple left.

"I'm a trouble magnet, aren't I?" Sarah asked, as she was driving towards Caen.

"Not your fault, Sarah."

"Does enjoying kicking that guy's ass make me a bad person Chuck?"

"Hell no, he deserved it."

"That's what I thought."

They visited the village of Sainte-Mère-Église and the site of the Omaha Beach landings where their grandfathers had fought back in World War II. While in Paris, Sarah had bought an antique style steamer trunk and she had been steadily filling it with her souvenir purchases as well as the gifts for Ellie, Awesome, Jack, Morgan and Alex. She also remembered to call her brother.

"Hello."

"Devon, it's me!"

"Sarah! Are you still having a good time in France?"

"I'm having a blast."

"How's Paris?"

"I'm no longer in Paris, bro. I'm in Normandy right now, where Grandpa fought."

"Really? Did you visit the museum in Sainte-Mère-Église?"

"Of course I did. I even recognized Grandpa in one of the group photos. And I bought some copies."

"Sis, you are awesome. In fact you're the awesomest little sister in the whole world. Dad's gonna love it."

"I know. Give my regards to everyone. I'll call you again tomorrow. And call me if you need anything, OK?"

"You worry only about having a good time. We've got everything under control here."

Later, Jack dropped by for a visit.

"Dad!" Devon boomed when he answered the door.

"Hello son. This isn't a bad time, I hope?"

"No Jack, not at all. Come on in," Ellie said.

"I went by your sister's, but nobody's home."

"Dad, Morgan is at work and Sarah is with Chuck in France."

"They are in France? For work?"

"At first. Now they are on leave. Sarah said she found a photo of Gramps in a D-Day museum."

"Tell me she bought a copy."

"She bought some copies, yes."

"Devon, honey, your computer's beeping," Ellie called.

"It's an email from Sarah!" Immediately Devon brought the laptop to the dinner table and they all crowded around it. She had sent them photos she had taken in Paris and in Normandy.

"Look at them," Ellie squealed.

"Looks like they are enjoying themselves."

"They sure are, Dad."

"Can you please copy the photos to my flash drive, son?"

"Sure," Devon said, inserting the small flash drive into a USB port. "When Morgan and Alex return from work I'll show them the pictures too."

The following day the Buy More employees were lined up for the customary briefing.

"Listen up people," said Big Mike, "the suits at corporate are very pleased with the store's performance. So they decided to upgrade us. Starting tomorrow we are going to close for a week, and a work crew from corporate will do some remodeling work. When they are finished, this place will make that idiot Barclay want to cry." The Buy More crew laughed heartily at that statement. They all disliked the conceited Ass Man of the Beverly Hills branch which had a long-running feud with the Burbank Buy More.

"What are we going to do during that week, Big Mike?" Alex asked.

"You are going to do absolutely nothing. I'll be here every day, supervising the remodeling progress. The rest of you get a paid vacation."

"Booze, here I come," said Jeff.

"Jeffrey," said Lester, "what did I tell you about…"

"Right now, I need two people to work on the signs informing our loyal customers that we'll be closed for remodeling and those two morons just volunteered."

"I'll make sure they do as you said, Boss," Alex assured him. Jeff and Lester looked at her in fear.

"You do that, Blondie Green. Grimes, I want to talk to you in my office now."

"I'll be right there Boss."

Chuck and Sarah had checked into a small hotel for the night. He was coming out of the shower, while she was channel surfing, still in her bathrobe.

"Hey sweetie, is there anything interesting on TV?"

"Nope. But Lorient won the game."

"Hah! Those hooligans will be crying all the way home."

"Come here Chuck." She patted the space on the down mattress next to her.

"What?"

"One of my favorite movies will be on TV in a few minutes. I want to watch it with you."

"Just give me a moment to get dressed."

"Why get dressed, when you'll have to take everything off later?"

"You don't want to waste any time, do you?"

"No," she said, looking seductively at him. He got into bed and they cuddled together, waiting for the movie to begin.

Jeff and Lester had done a decent job with the signs. Of course, it would have been hard not to under the supervision of a scowling Alex Forrest and a grape soda sipping Morgan Grimes. Now, Alex and Morgan were in the Castle after closing up the Buy More.

"Listen Grimes, now that you are officially working with us, you have to learn the basics of spy craft. General Casey ordered me to teach you. We'll begin the lessons with my favorite subject: firearms."

"You mean I am going to get to shoot these guns here?"

"A few of them, yes. Let's start with something simple. Take this." She gave him a 9 mm automatic.

"Oh wow! SIG Sauer, nine millimeter, thirteen-round magazine, laser sights…"

"Impressive."

"I just spend a lot of time playing first person shooter games."

"OK then. First you have to learn the safety precautions of handling a firearm and also how to field strip and reassemble it." She showed him how it was done and then had him try it. It took him a few tries, but in the end he did it to her satisfaction. He was trying hard, that much she could tell. He obviously wanted to live up to his friends' expectations and so he was forcing himself to concentrate. It was a new side of Morgan Grimes' personality and Alex had started to like it. Not that she'd ever admit it, of course.

"Done," he said, after finally reassembling the gun correctly.

"Not bad for a beginner, Grimes. Now, I want you to squeeze off a few at a target." They moved to the indoor range, where she showed him the correct way of holding a weapon. They also put on their protective gear.

"I'm ready."

"Lock and load."

"OK."

"Take your time, aim and fire when ready," she said. Morgan took careful aim and pulled the trigger. The report of the weapon, even muffled by his earmuffs and the recoil startled him. The gun flew from his hand, sailed over his head and Alex caught it.

"Man, the gun practically exploded in my hand!"

"There's nothing wrong with the gun, Grimes," she said and cleared the weapon. Her attitude changed when she saw the target. Morgan's shot had hit it dead center. "I'll be damned," she muttered.

"What?"

"Take a look."

"Did I do that?"

"Uh-huh. Beginner's luck. Now, all we have to do is figure out a way to actually make the gun stay in your hands."

"How are you proposing to do that?"

"I think I have an idea," she said, grinning deviously and tossed him a pair of Nomex gloves. "Put these on." She left the room and returned a minute later with a roll of duct tape. Once she was satisfied that Morgan had again locked and loaded the gun and was holding it the proper way, she used the tape to secure it to his grip.

"That is your bright idea Alex?"

"Yup. Try again."

Morgan fired at the target until he emptied the magazine. Since his hands were still duct taped to the gun, Alex cut the tape away to enable him to eject the mag and execute the appropriate safety actions.

"It worked," he said simply.

"Let's see how you did." They walked over to the target. "You missed a few, and you are aiming a bit too much to the right but otherwise you have a decent grouping for a beginner," she remarked.

"Blame it on thousands of hours of video games: Duck Hunt, Point Blank, Time Crisis, House of the Dead…"

"OK, Grimes, that's enough, I get it. Funny thing is that Walker said the same when she first fired a real gun."

"Can I try it again, without the duct tape?"

"Hold on. I need to set up a fresh target."

"OK. One more thing; can I keep the gloves on?"

"If it makes you feel more comfortable." There was genuine amusement in her blue-gray eyes. Clearly, she enjoyed giving weapons instruction.

"It does, believe me."

"Just dump a few more rounds downrange."

"Yes ma'am."

Chuck and Sarah had decided to go to Strasbourg by way of Rouen, Paris and Nancy. Although they had already been in Rouen and Paris, it was one of the fastest routes to Strasbourg. Besides, they intended to spend a couple of days in the last mentioned city, so getting there early was good, as it would leave them more time for sightseeing and shopping at their next destinations.

The longest stop was in Nancy, where they drove around the city and had a late lunch. Sarah had looked up the main sights there on the web and directed Chuck to several of them using the GPS and road map function her Dad had built into the laptop. They took lots and lots of pictures and generally had fun before hitting the road again late in the afternoon and finally reaching Strasbourg after night fell. They checked into a hotel and took a long relaxing shower together. After a day on the road they definitely needed it. The fun activities that began in the shower continued in the bedroom, until they both fell exhausted into a deep, restful sleep.

During their stay in the historic city they visited as many architectural monuments, museums and parks as they could and they also made sure to visit the European Parliament.

"Chuck, we leave for Stuttgart tomorrow morning, right?"

"Yep."

"Then I'll work on our sightseeing schedule."

"You'll work on what?"

"There are a couple of places I definitely want to go to. Therefore, since we won't be spending the night there, it won't hurt to have a schedule."

"And where do you want to go so bad?"

"I want to visit the Porsche offices."

"Figures. What are you going to do there?"

"Ask them about tweaks that may be not available in the States."

"You really love that car, don't you?"

"It's the first car registered to my name and it's a gift from my Dad."

"What did you drive in high school and in college?"

"I had Mom's old car, a yellow Volkswagen convertible. Fortunately Awesome had bought his own car by then, so I had it all to myself. I had to part with it when a tree fell on it. Fortunately, I wasn't inside when it happened. What about you?"

"I've had the Charger since my senior year in high school. I had worked summers to get enough money to buy a car and Dad noticed that it was on sale real cheap and in excellent shape too. And what about the other place you don't want to miss going to?"

"It's the Mercedes-Benz Museum. I think you're gonna love it too."

"I will, trust me; I'm a guy, so I love going to such places."

"Then we should visit the local airport terminal too."

"Why's that?

"They have some old aircraft on display in the terminal building."

"I suppose we could make a quick stop there."

Unbeknownst to the two lovers, their vacation would be soon interrupted. It all began when General Casey called Alex Forrest. She in turn went to find Morgan Grimes, who was in the Castle, studying one of the manuals she had given him to read.

"Hey Alex," he said, looking up as she entered, "what's up?"

"We have a new mission."

"WE? You mean I get to tag along on a mission?"

"You're the only backup I have right now, Grimes. Unless you know where Walker and Bartowski are."

"They didn't call me, not that I blame them, but I can find them for you."

"How?"

"Sit back and watch," he said and picked up the phone. "Hey Captain," he greeted the man who answered his call. "How are you and Ellie doing? …Good. Listen, I need a favor. Did you talk to Sarah lately? …I see. Did she tell you where she and Chuck are? …OK, got it, thanks. Can't really talk about it over the phone… Right, see you later."

"Well?"

"They left Strasbourg and should be in Stuttgart by now."

"Call the General on a secure line please."

"Right away!"

Soon Casey's image appeared on the screen.

"Major Forrest, Mr. Grimes, time to brief you on your new mission; the Ring director you captured in Paris talked under interrogation and the information he provided was corroborated by the results of Daniel Shaw's interrogation."

"Shaw talked?"

"Sang like a superstar. The fact that he was still drugged after undergoing surgery to remove the bullets Agent Walker put in him helped a lot."

"Did they have anything interesting to say?"

"Yes, something very interesting; the Ring's senior leadership will be convening in Zurich the day after tomorrow for what the director termed 'policy discussions'. It's a good opportunity to identify the major players and apprehend or place them under surveillance."

"Won't they be suspicious if the director doesn't show up?"

"No, the director may be high ranking in their organization, but his job is to help implement the policy decisions of the head honchos. They usually initiate contact. He calls them only when absolutely necessary and even he doesn't know who they are."

"I understand sir."

"Any news as to the whereabouts of Agents Walker and Bartowski?"

"They are in Stuttgart sir."

"Get in touch with them and tell them to go to Zurich ASAP. You'll meet them there."

"Yes sir."

"That will be all then."

"How are we going to break it to them, that their leave has been cancelled?" Morgan asked.

"Leave that matter to me. Set up a videoconference with them now."

Sarah and Chuck were in their hotel, after a busy day sightseeing in Stuttgart. Sarah had been right; the Mercedes-Benz museum had been definitely worth visiting. She had also gotten the chance to practice her Intersect provided German on several occasions.

"Chuck, I need a massage," she said, her tone pleading.

"You shouldn't have insisted on driving all day long."

"Well, are you going to…?"

"Sure thing, love. I'll just be a minute."

While he was gently massaging her shoulders and back, she filled him in on what the sales people at Porsche had told her. She had already ordered some parts for her car direct from the factory and all she'd have to do was have them fitted by an authorized dealership service section. Her NSA salary would be enough to cover the costs. It would still cost her a month's pay, but she had her Buy More paycheck to compensate. Suddenly her Orion laptop beeped. She hurriedly slipped on her dressing gown and answered the call.

"Alex! What a pleasant surprise!"

"Keep it in your pants Walker, we got work to do."

"Work?" Chuck asked.

"The Ring Elders are meeting in Zurich the day after tomorrow for policy discussions."

"Are you telling me that the fucking Ring is ruining our vacation?"

"Your girlfriend sure has a dirty mouth Bartowski."

"She expressed my sentiments as well. What does the General want us to do?"

"Go to Zurich post haste. I'll meet you there."

"Can we use our car, or do we need to catch a flight?"

"Go by car, assuming you do have weapons and other gear with you."

"We do."

"OK then, see you guys in Switzerland." Alex signed off and turned to Morgan. "Make sure your passport's up to date and pack light. Meet me back here in two hours."

"We are going to Europe? Wow, I'm traveling to Europe on the government's dime! Champagne, gourmet meals, fully reclining seats, first class here I come!"

Morgan was quickly brought back to reality when he and Alex boarded their flight out of LAX. The NSA had booked them business class tickets. Morgan thought that at least they weren't traveling in coach.

Meanwhile, Chuck and Sarah were on the road from Stuttgart towards Zurich. For the first forty-five minutes of the drive, Sarah had been cursing Fulcrum, Daniel Shaw, the Ring, its director, its as yet unknown elders, and everyone else she perceived as having played a part in ruining her vacation. The language she was using would have been enough to make the most grizzled Marine gunnery sergeant run for cover. Occasionally she used the Intersect's language skills to swear in French, German, Spanish, Greek, Russian and even Swedish in addition to English. At times she had Chuck laughing so hard that he had to be extra careful not to lose control of the Audi. Eventually she reclined her seat and fell asleep. Chuck woke her up a few hours later and she took over driving while he slept in the passenger seat.

When they finally arrived in Zurich, they went straight to a hotel near the one where the Ring Elders would meet and checked in. Sarah this time used her Jenny Burton alias. Hacking into the hotel's database she verified that reservations had been made for a Ms. Alison Foster and a Mr. Alexander Coburn (Morgan's alias, which combined the name of his girlfriend and the maiden name of her paternal grandmother. Alex Casey had first made it up for him).

"Chuck, the NSA made reservations for Alex and Morgan. Do you want me to check the reservations of the Ring's hotel to see if I can glean any intel out of it?"

"Too risky; they might have set up hacker alarms and we don't want to spook them."

"Chuck, don't underestimate my hacking skills and also my Dad's proficiency in writing software. My laptop has a killer hacking program installed. I can get in and out with no one the wiser."

"Then be my guest."

A few minutes later Sarah announced that the results were inconclusive. She had even checked to see if multiple rooms had been booked by one person or company, but came up dry. The Ring operatives were too smart to overlook such telling details. Chuck and Sarah still had a few hours before their team mates arrived in Zurich, so they took the opportunity to get some rest, before driving to the airport to pick them up. Sarah also called Devon and Ellie as she did every day.

They were already at the arrivals section of the passenger terminal when the flight from the US landed. They waited patiently for their friends to get done with the formalities and collect their luggage. When Alex and Morgan finally emerged from baggage claim, Chuck and Sarah greeted them warmly and drove them to the hotel. The mission would begin in earnest on the following day.


	20. Chapter 20 Sarah vs the Swiss Cheese

**A/N:** Continued from Chapter 19. There is spy action and gunplay here. Enjoy!

Standard disclaimers apply.

* * *

**Sarah vs the Swiss Cheese**

"Sorry to screw up your vacation kids, but this is a unique chance to get the drop on the Ring. If everything goes well, we can identify and/or neutralize its leadership in one fell swoop."

"Alex, I can see what you are doing here. But why did you bring Morgan with you? He's not an agent."

"Walker, I know that. He can be useful in other ways."

"Forrest, Morgan, you must be tired after the flight. I suggest you crash in your rooms and we'll reconvene in a few hours to start planning for the mission."

"Good idea buddy," yawned Morgan.

"OK Bartowski. Walker, don't wear him out."

Sarah opened her mouth to respond, but changed her mind and instead stuck her tongue out at Alex.

Three hours later, they were all together in Chuck's and Sarah's room. Sarah had had the forethought to order room service, and a cart loaded with a now half empty coffee pot and plates of various snacks, which had been ravenously consumed by the four friends stood in a corner. The low coffee table was covered with coffee cups, photos, Zurich street maps and printouts of the target hotel's layout, with the possible infiltration routes highlighted with a red sharpie. Morgan and Sarah had also set up a camera, and they were getting live feed from the hotel entrance across the street. Every time someone entered or left the building, Sarah would zoom in to see if anything about the person triggered a flash.

Confirmation that something was afoot came when she flashed on a young man exiting the hotel. He was identified as Justin Sullivan, a CIA agent. Just to be on the safe side, they contacted Casey and asked if the CIA had an Agent Sullivan working the Ring case. He promised to make some discreet inquiries using his most trusted contacts and get back to them. Just to be on the safe side, Sarah ran the license plate number on Sullivan's car through a couple of databases she hacked into.

"You know, it's really easy to enter their system. The firewalls are like Swiss cheese, at least for this baby, full of holes," Sarah said, affectionately running a hand over the laptop. The others chuckled. The suspect agent's car was traced to a local company, which could very well be a front for Ring operations. Morgan suggested that they double check the reservations database Sarah had hacked into earlier to see if said company had booked rooms in the hotel. This earned him extra points with his instructor, who after scanning the list announced that this company had indeed booked a room in the hotel, but the guest was Sullivan. Chuck postulated that he might be there to do advance security work in preparation for the Elders' arrival. The General contacted them soon afterwards and informed them that officially the CIA had not handed Sullivan an assignment in Switzerland.

"Forrest, how did we learn about this meeting? Can we be sure it's not a trap of some kind?" Chuck asked after the call with the General was terminated.

"According to the General the intel came from two separate sources; the Ring Director and Shaw. It is considered reliable since Shaw blabbed about it while still drugged after surgery. By the way, Walker, you did quite a number on him. The doctors say his shoulders won't have full range of motion again. Fucker doesn't even know he talked. We gotta hand it to those who made the dual purpose drugs used on Shaw."

"He tried to kill my Chuck. And he paid for it," Sarah said. Chuck's immediate reaction was to kiss her.

"Ugh," groaned Alex. "Get a room."

"In case you forgot, we are in our room, Alex," Sarah said cheekily.

"Enough joking around. We need a plan to identify the Ring Elders."

"I can't guarantee they are in the Intersect."

"Right, then the Intersect may not be a reliable means of identifying them all. We need some old fashioned spy work here."

"Chuck?"

"Yes, Morgan?"

"I've been looking at the layouts of their hotel; there is a good chance that they won't book suites, in order to remain as inconspicuous as possible."

"I like the way you think, Grimes."

"Thank you Alex. Watching spy movies can be useful on occasion. Anyway, the standard rooms are not big enough for a conference like the one they are planning."

"Morgan, you are a genius!" Sarah enthused. "They will have to use one of the conference rooms the hotel has."

"There is one large for conventions and stuff and several smaller for business meetings and the like," remarked Chuck. He pointed at the blueprints Sarah had electronically purloined from the hotel's system.

Sarah pursed her lips and furrowed her brow in concentration. She looked at the schematics and offered an opinion.

"If I were in their shoes I'd book the one closest to as many different escape routes as possible," she said.

"She's on to something here," said Chuck.

"This one has definite possibilities," said Alex.

"What about the hotel's security cams, do they cover this area?" Morgan asked.

"Grimes, you are a fast learner. Walker?"

"Nope. Most are covering the entrances and the lobby. They are all on a separate system, so I can't hack into it from here."

"We could try to go in and load the place with bugs, but they'd find them quickly."

"What's with you and bugs anyway, Alex?"

"We'll have to do a recon on site," Chuck conceded.

"Do you think they'll post guards outside when they get down to their business?"

"I wouldn't. It would be akin to putting up a huge sign, complete with neon lights saying 'We Are Here'. We'll have to think of something else to confirm the exact location, Morgan."

They worked for a while longer before taking a short break and ordering a nice lunch from room service. While waiting for their order to arrive, Sarah checked the time. Calculating the time difference between Zurich and Burbank, she decided it was too early to call her brother. She would have to do it later.

In his office at the NSA headquarters at Ft. Meade General Casey looked over the reports his favorite team had emailed from Zurich. They were efficient as always and he could not help but be impressed with the way its newest member was contributing to the operation. Making him a part of the team was apparently beneficial to all concerned. Morgan Guillermo Grimes still had a lot to learn, but he was motivated, to say the least. Casey did grumble once when he remembered his daughter complaining that she was not spending as much time with her boyfriend as she would like because of his two jobs. He appeased her by promising to remind him to get her something nice from Europe. Not that any reminding would be necessary; the kids had good chemistry. He unbuttoned his uniform jacket, loosened his tie and propped his feet on his desk. Disregarding all laws and regulations about smoking in public buildings, he took a huge Costa Gravan cigar from a humidor and lit up. Blowing smoke rings towards the ceiling he relaxed, having a good feeling about the current op. He smiled wider when he read a report from another team he had sent to Burbank.

Big Mike was a happy man. The remodeling work in his store was progressing smoothly. The work crews were very efficient and corporate had seen fit to reward the Burbank Buy More staff for their hard work by renovating the manager's office, still leaving space on the wall for Norman, Big Mike's stuffed marlin, creating a proper assistant manager's office, complete with telephones and a computer and finally doing a lot of work in the employees' break room. The old 1985 vintage Hitachi TV had given its place to a new flat screen HDTV and had been turned into a piece of décor. The entire staff was too attached to it to throw it away. What Big Mike did not know was that a large part of the work crews consisted of NSA personnel, who were there to make sure that neither of the access points to the Castle would be discovered during the remodeling process. The NSA also took the opportunity to install some upgrades to the security system.

Meanwhile, the members of Team Walker had finished their lunch and had been considering various strategies to enter the conference room and identify the Ring Elders. They were rejected one after the other as impractical. Eventually Chuck suggested that they each take a copy of the blueprints and try to come up with a workable tactic. Each idea would be discussed for its merits and drawbacks separately and maybe they would eventually be able to come up with something good. Alex was sitting cross-legged on the floor, in deep concentration. Morgan was pacing in front of the window, thinking, trying to remember something useful from what little training he'd had and the various spy movies he'd seen over time. Chuck was sprawled on the couch, jotting down notes. Finally, Sarah was in the bedroom, plans and a notepad strewn around her on the bed. She tore a page from her notepad and crumpled it up in frustration as she realized that her latest idea wouldn't work. She was going to have to think outside the box on this case. Suddenly, it came to her and bounded from the bed, bursting into the living room area and startling the others.

"I got it!"

"I hope it's not too exotic for the equipment we've got, Walker."

"Nor too complicated," added Chuck.

"No, all it needs is two people with the suitable wardrobe, very little equipment and some alcohol," said Sarah.

"What kind of equipment?" Morgan asked.

"The kind of equipment one can find in a half decent spy shop. I was thinking of a couple of miniature cameras recording directly into flash drives. There will be no transmissions involved."

"Won't work. They'll find your cameras in a pinch," said Alex.

"You haven't heard the whole plan yet."

"I'm listening."

"The idea is to hide the cameras in the clothing of two people, who will play the role of a drunken couple seeking some privacy for a quickie. They will then stumble inside and the cameras will record everything inside, until said couple is ejected from the room. With any luck we'll get a few mug shots of the elusive Elders."

"It could work," said Chuck, thinking it over.

"Why risk going in? We could just as easily hide the cameras in the hallway. Sarah said they will not be transmitting, so they'll be harder to detect."

"Harder yes, but not impossible, Grimes. Odds are they will be doing sweeps of the corridor before the beginning and the end of each meeting. Walker's approach is worth the added risk."

"Forrest is right," said Chuck. "Sarah, it's your plan. Who do you propose we send in?"

"Alex and Morgan," Sarah replied without hesitation. The others gaped at her, stunned.

"What? No way, Walker! Grimes… he is not trained for this."

"And we can't discount the possibility that the Ring knows Forrest either," added Chuck.

"That's not a problem. We can come up with a disguise for Alex so that even her own mother won't recognize her. As for Morgan, I'm aware of the risks, but I need someone looking patently harmless. Buddy, I can't order you to do this. You'll have to volunteer."

"I have absolute faith in you Sarah. I'll do as you say."

"Are you 100% sure Morgan? It's not a game. We'll be playing for keeps."

"Yes; yes, I am. Guys, I can do this, trust me."

"Tell us exactly what you have in mind Sarah."

"Okay Chuck. Morgan will be posing as a businessman. Alex will be a high priced escort. Their 'tryst' should not arouse any suspicion."

"Is this all to get back at me for that time at the Roark Instruments conference, Walker? Having you posing as a call girl was the General's idea too."

"Not really. Come on Alex, after what happened in Prague this one will be a piece of cake."

"Prague? Is the Prague mission in the Intersect?"

"I didn't check. Carina told me about it." Sarah had a slightly evil smile on her face as she spoke.

"I'm gonna kill her and I'm gonna kill you!" Alex shouted angrily.

"Aw, c'mon, act professional."

"Sarah giving a lecture about being professional to Forrest! That's priceless," Chuck laughed.

"Where is a camcorder when you need one?" Morgan asked.

"Grimes, if you want to live, you'd better shut the fuck up now. OK, Walker, I'll do it your way."

"Excellent. Now, you guys relax while I work out the details."

"By the way, what happened in Prague?" Morgan asked innocently.

"Well," Sarah began, but was interrupted by Alex.

"Walker, Grimes, if you value your lives one little bit, cut it out right now!"

"You think you can beat Sarah, Alex? Chuck, order some popcorn and lots of jello. I'll see if we have enough beer in the mini bar."

"Um, why should I do that, Morgan?"

"Because we are about to be treated to the wonderful spectacle of two scorching hot bikini-clad ladies covered in jello and having a martial arts enhanced catfight in the bathtub. And if _that_ doesn't call for popcorn and beer, I don't know what does. Assuming the ladies do have bikinis in their luggage. Otherwise, sexy lingerie will do nicely." Morgan's comments had the desired effect. Everyone started laughing.

"Damn you Grimes, you are hilarious sometimes," said Alex. "You still wanna know about Prague? I'll tell you."

"I'm all ears."

"It was what we call in the trade a 'honey trap'. Some refer to it as a 'babe op'. Simple enough; a female agent gets close to the target and obtains the intel by any means necessary. Only the mark in that mission wanted two ladies. The only one available, besides me, was Miller. And the DEA agreed to let us borrow her for the op. So she and I went in as strippers to do an initial recon. We got the intel, but she improvised and I had to give the mark a lap dance to keep him busy while Miller cracked his safe. And then I had to do a dance _with_ Miller for him, because the guy was a pervert. And none of this would have happened, had she stuck to the original plan." Alex stopped talking and looked at her partners; Sarah already knew the whole story. But Chuck and Morgan were reacting like any other red blooded male would: they sat there slack jawed, their minds picturing Alex and Carina entwined in a sensuous, dirty dance. Morgan was unconsciously tugging at his shirt collar. Seeing them like this, Sarah stepped forward and slapped Morgan hard. She then slapped Chuck even harder and before he had a chance to recover, she buried her fingers in his curly hair, drew him close and planted a fierce kiss on his lips.

"What was that for?" Chuck asked when she let go of him, more stunned than hurt.

"That was for you two acting like a pair of total pervs and possibly mind cheating. You both got girlfriends and, although I can't speak for Morgan's Alex, the only woman I want my boyfriend to have dirty thoughts about is me!"

"Sarah…"

"Shut up Chuck! You'd better make it up to me tonight. For now I'll take a deposit," she said and kissed him again.

"Angry sex; it's gonna be epic," Morgan whispered in Alex's ear.

"Yikes, Grimes, now I need brain bleach," Alex whispered back as they exited the room.

"Are you jealous?"

"What? No, why?"

"Because… you know, they are having a good time and according to Sarah you haven't been laid since-"

"Stop right there mister. It's not any of your business, but I'll have you know that I did not deny myself the pleasure of having a man give me a thrill on occasion."

"Really?"

"Has Walker ever mentioned anything to you about a Cole Barker?"

"Yes, I think he was that James Bond wannabe, as she described him; a good agent, but an incorrigible Don Juan," Morgan replied suspiciously.

"He dropped by a couple of times for booty calls."

"You didn't!"

"Why shouldn't I? It was just sex. But if you mention anything about what I just told you to either Walker or Bartowski, I'm gonna pluck you from head to toe, pulling out your hairs one at a time."

"Your secret is safe with me. Right now, I need to call my girlfriend. All the talk about sex made me realize how much I miss her."

A low growl from Alex answered Morgan's statement. She still wasn't sure if she liked the idea of little Alex and Morgan together.

In the meantime Sarah had decided it was about time to call Awesome and Ellie. She picked up her phone and dialed her brother.

"Dr. Walker, secure," Devon answered when he saw who was calling.

"Carmichael, secure," she instinctively replied. "Devon," she said, realizing that he was playing with her, "is that a way to talk over an unsecure line?"

"Well, little sister, it's no longer unsecure. Dad gave me and Ellie new cell phones, just like the one you have. He also did something to our home phone."

"Then I guess it's secure all right."

"Enough with the technical talk. Where are you today?"

"I'm in Zurich."

"Zurich, huh? Listen, I don't have much time before Ellie comes barging in here, so this is what I want you to do: get Ellie one of those cute Cuckoo clocks. I'll cover the cost, pay you back when you return to Burbank."

"Devon, we're on a mission here. I don't know if I'll have the time to…"

"Mission? I thought you were on vacation."

"I was, until yesterday. Unfortunately the damn Ring messed with my plans again."

"Then try to wrap it up quick, so that you can go back on vacation."

"If it's up to me I will. Is there anything else you want? As I recall Ellie also has a sweet tooth for Swiss chocolates."

"You remember that?"

"Please, brother, I'm a secret agent. It's my job to notice details," she taunted.

"Right… I sometimes forget that you are not just my baby sister."

"I'll get Ellie a month's supply of the best chocolates, don't worry."

"She'll be through it in two weeks. I know my wife."

"Then I'll double it. You'll just have to push her harder during your, um, workout sessions."

"Did my sister just make a double entendre?"

"My statement is open to more than one interpretation," she chuckled. "But I'm still more subtle than you, bro."

"Ellie's coming," he whispered, before continuing aloud. "Did you take the paddle steamer tour of the lake Sarah?"

"Sarah called?" Tell her I say hi. I hope she's having a great time with Chuck," said Ellie.

"Did you hear that, sis?"

"I did. Don't tell her I'm on a mission. You know how worried she gets. Feel free to tell Dad about it though. And tell him that the hacking software he wrote works like a dream. I'll call you again tomorrow, Devon. Right now I have to go back to work. Bye!"

"Keep having a good time, sis."

Sarah put her phone away and started working on the details of her plan. She had a hunch it would be a good one. While she was working, Chuck slipped out of the room and went to talk to Morgan. He had an idea about a tweak to Sarah's plan that they could add. He knew the others would agree, because it would be safer for their less experienced team mate. As expected, Morgan wholeheartedly agreed. Chuck's plan was to have Morgan go to the hotel across the street accompanied by not one, but two call girls; Alex _and_ Sarah. He smiled as he remembered the slutty outfit Sarah had been wearing on the mission to stop Roark Instruments from selling Fulcrum software. Back then he had to restrain himself from just ripping it off of her and making mad passionate love to her after the mission. This time, after the mission, he would show no such restraint.

When he broached the subject during their next planning session, Sarah concurred with him, as she was also worried about her best friend. The last task before calling it a night was to ready the equipment and the required wardrobe for the following day and book a room in the target hotel for a Mr. Martin Grissom, a wealthy American businessman. Just to reinforce the cover, Morgan moved to his new room. Before leaving he joked that his cover name should be Cyrus Grissom, a.k.a. 'Cyrus the Virus'. Sarah retorted by saying that the 'Virus' nickname would be more fitting for Forrest as 'she has killed more people than cancer' (Chuck laughed when he heard Sarah quoting 'Con Air').

The following day, after a night of wild sex between Chuck and Sarah, as Morgan had predicted, was mission day; everything was checked and rechecked and nothing was overlooked. Chuck was out, on his way to get a limousine. He would be posing as Mr. Grissom's chauffeur. Morgan was in his hotel room, waiting for the go-ahead from Sarah. Sarah herself was in her room with Alex, monitoring the entrance of the hotel across the street, eyes glued to the surveillance monitor. There was a chance that at least one of the Ring Elders was in the Intersect, so observation was of paramount importance.

"Walker, any flashes yet?"

"Nothing. Even Sullivan hasn't yet appeared. Even if none of the elders is in the Intersect, he could be the key – if he's with the Ring."

"If he goes in there with company, we'll know-"

"There he is!" Sarah said excitedly.

"Is he alone?"

"No…" Sarah took a good look at the man Sullivan was escorting. "No flash," she said. "But I got a good screenshot from the video. Send it to the General. He'll have his people run it through their facial recognition software."

"Roger that."

More time passed, with Sarah and Alex focusing on people who appeared to be escorted into the hotel. Their patience was rewarded around noon, when they hit paydirt.

"Alex, I just flashed on that guy!" Sarah pointed at the image of a man exiting a chauffeur driven Mercedes.

"Who is he?"

"He's ex-DOD, while in the Pentagon he worked as a liaison with the CIA, high level stuff."

"And being a Ring Elder is the only believable reason for him to be here."

"It is, unless you believe in coincidence."

"I don't. Call Bartowski. Have him and Grimes on standby for Phase 2," Alex said and Sarah called her partners and brought them up to speed.

"Alex, what time should we go in? I mean, we shouldn't be too early or too late"

"I think we should wait for a couple of hours."

"Agreed. Where is the booze?"

"You want a drink? Now?"

"No, it's all part of the plan, remember? You, Morgan and I have to smell like a distillery."

"If push comes to shove we can use the mini bar."

"Call Chuck. Tell him to buy a bottle of something good; whiskey, vodka, I don't care what, but he needs to make sure it's a well known brand."

"We are going to 'stumble' in there, brandishing a bottle, right?"

"We need to sell it."

Alex called Chuck and Morgan. The two men would meet and procure the booze. Then they'd wait for the girls. Sarah and Alex in the meantime proceeded to put on the appropriate attire for the mission; Sarah emerged from the bathroom as a redhead, in the same call girl outfit she had worn the last time she had to play that part. Alex was now a brunette, clad in what could be described as a whore skirt, a very low-cut top and high heels. Lots of makeup and jewelry completed the disguises.

"Well Walker, what do you think?"

"I think we look very professional – the world's oldest profession," Sarah said and they both laughed heartily. When the time came to leave their hotel, the local weather played right into their hands, as a sudden shower allowed them to conceal their skanky outfits under raincoats. They met Chuck and Morgan and went once again over the details of the plan inside the limousine. The miniature cameras were checked and carefully concealed, one in Morgan's jacket, one in Alex's purse and one on Sarah.

"Are you guys ready? Did you check the gear and the weapons?" Chuck asked from the driver's seat of the limo.

"Yes, we are ready and we did check everything," Sarah answered.

"Time for some Jack," Alex said, opening the bottle of Tennessee whiskey as Chuck started the engine and drove towards the Ring Elders' hotel. She swished the rich amber liquid around inside her mouth, before discreetly spitting it out in an ice bucket. She also dabbed some on her chin. Sarah did the same and then it was Morgan's turn. Instead of spitting it out he swallowed it.

"Sorry," he said, "but I can't let good whiskey go to waste." He then emptied most of the whiskey into a decanter, saving it for the expected post-mission celebration.

When they arrived at the hotel, Morgan got out of the car with Sarah and Alex on each arm. Skirting the front desk, they quickly marched towards their destination. Turning into the hallway to the conference rooms, Sarah and Alex unbuttoned their raincoats, revealing their, well, revealing attires. Morgan had his arms around their waists, while Alex held the bottle in one hand. Pretending to walk unsteadily, the three made their way to the first room, the girls giggling drunkenly. Sarah opened the door and they 'stumbled' inside.

"Oh, sorry folks," Morgan told the surprised occupants of the room, feigning some embarrassment. Their bodyguards reached for their weapons, but relaxed as the drunken trio appeared not to pose any threat. "Hoped the place would be empty. The ladies and I were looking for a little privacy, to celebrate a lucrative deal I made today, you know." He winked at the Ring Elders.

"Apology accepted, Mr. …"

"Grissom, Martin Grissom," Morgan slurred. "I guess we should leave you to your business. Come on ladies, we'd better take it up to my room. It's not as big as this one, but it'll have to do."

Sarah, Alex and Morgan could swear that some of the Ring Elders were trying hard not to laugh at the scene they were witnessing. Who said bad guys didn't have a sense of humor? Still keeping up the act, they went back out in the hallway and headed for the elevators, Morgan laying a hand on Alex's butt, the gesture visible to the Elders. Alex just giggled. Privately, she was pleased that her student had come up with another detail that would help sell the cover. They ended up in 'Mr. Grissom's' room, just in case they had been followed. When inside, Sarah immediately went to check the monitor for the minicam Morgan had planted outside.

"One guy followed us up here. He's at the end of the hallway. Wait… He's leaving. We're in the clear."

"It was a pretty convincing act. Walker, Grimes, good job."

"We aced drama in high school," Morgan said with a smile.

"Chuck," Sarah said, after calling him, "mission completed."

"Good. Stay in the room for a while and I'll come pick you up later."

"Are they checking up on our Mr. Grissom?"

"Hold on a sec… Yes, according to whatever alarms you rigged here an outsider just accessed the information in the hotel's mainframe."

"I was expecting that. Don't worry Chuck, Mr. Grissom is legit. Hell, even a Google search will confirm it. I think I was pretty thorough while preparing Morgan's cover story."

"Smart girl. So, how long do you think a drunken threesome would last?"

"Give us another hour, then call the hotel and ask to be put through to Mr. Grissom's room. We'll be downstairs five minutes later."

"Got it. See you guys later."

While Sarah and Chuck were talking over the phone, Alex kicked off her shoes and plopped down on the couch.

"My feet are killing me," she complained.

"They are no longer used to stiletto heels, are they? Go to the bathroom and soak them in warm water," Sarah said after hanging up the phone.

"That might help," Alex admitted.

"I think my first official mission is going well," Morgan said. "What do you think, Sarah?"

"So far so good. We need to get back to send the intel from the videos to General Casey. And then we may have to get the Hell out of Dodge, depending on what orders we'll get."

"Pity, I was hoping to do some shopping in Zurich."

"Oh crap, Ellie's clock and chocolates!"

"Huh?"

"Devon asked me to get a Cuckoo clock and Swiss chocolates for Ellie."

"There will be time for shopping later, Walker," Alex called from the bathroom.

Chuck called them as agreed and they went downstairs and got in the limo. Chuck drove them around for a while, Morgan squeezing through the open divide to the passenger's seat to allow the women the privacy to change into more casual clothing. This put a crimp in Chuck's naughty plans for later, but he figured that he could get Sarah to put her call girl outfit back on after the mission, just for him. On impulse Sarah also had him stop to do the shopping for Ellie's stuff. It was not like the Ring Elders would be going anywhere, so they could afford the short distraction.

Back in their hotel, they reviewed the footage from their miniature cameras and confirmed that they had good images of all five Ring Elders. Casey congratulated them on a job well done and ordered them to maintain surveillance and await new instructions. The team members took shifts watching the surveillance monitor. The tedious duty lasted into most of the following day, but the Ring Elders never left their hotel. The four friends were trying to relieve the boredom by playing cards when Sarah's computer beeped, indicating that the facial recognition software had a match on one or more of their marks.

"Targets are on the move," Sarah announced. Immediately they picked up their gear and ran to the Audi. It was easy to follow the marks' limousine through the streets of Zurich and out of the city. Keeping a safe distance, they kept giving regular updates to Casey over a secure satellite link. When they informed him that the marks were heading for a private heliport, they were ordered to prevent their departure by all means until backup could arrive and take the Ring Elders in custody.

Chuck drove the Audi to a hill overlooking the heliport and paused to reconnoiter the area. Chuck and Alex noted the guard positions and plotted their assault, while Sarah and Morgan broke out the heavy artillery the General had sent them through his contacts. Soon, all four were dressed in black mission gear, full body armor and carried automatic weapons. Alex had given Morgan an HK MP5SD3 submachine gun with an integrated suppressor. It was a very reliable weapon, virtually soldier proof, or idiot proof as the veteran agent had described it. Chuck had a trusty G36K with an underbarrel 40 mm grenade launcher, Alex took a Mk 48 7.62 mm machine gun, while Sarah took an FN Minimi SPW 5.56 mm squad automatic weapon, a piece she was familiar with from many first person shooter games. Chuck offered to take the heavier weapon and give her his assault rifle, but she wasn't about to pass up the chance to use something offering such massive firepower. Quickly, Chuck and Alex briefed the others on the plan in case backup took too long to arrive. He then drove the car under the cover of some trees close to the heliport and they settled down to wait.

A short time later a sleek Sikorsky S-76 Spirit came in to land. As their promised backup was still on the way, Chuck decided that they should go in immediately. It was a rare opportunity to bag the entire leadership of the Ring and they were not about to let it slip away. Alex took up station in the open sunroof of the car, with Sarah in the back. Chuck and Morgan took the front seats, the former riding shotgun and the latter driving.

The car crashed through the chain link gate, Alex taking out the guards with a short burst from her machine gun. During the short dash to the spot where the helicopter sat idling, Chuck and Alex mowed down more Ring agents. The Elders' bodyguards quickly herded their bosses inside the helicopter and piled in after them. The engines increased their revolutions and soon they reached takeoff RPMs. Chuck fired a grenade in front of the helicopter, distracting the crew long enough for Morgan to pull up alongside.

Alex then proceeded to shoot the port engine to scrap with her machine gun, while Sarah riddled the tail with bullets, destroying the tail rotor and rendering the bird unflyable. The copilot made the fatal mistake of trying to aim a gun at the Audi. Chuck emptied the magazine of his rifle into the chopper's cockpit, killing both flight crew members. After taking cover behind the car, Morgan squeezed off a few rounds at the gearbox and rotor mast.

"All right, everyone, get out with your hands in the air," Chuck bellowed. "This flight has been canceled!"

"That's right, dirtbags! Reach for the sky! You are the disease, I am the cure!" Morgan said.

"Cool your jets there, Cobra," Alex whispered. "I didn't give you a loaded weapon."

"I thought it felt too light, so I checked. It's loaded now, trust me. Didn't you see me shoot?"

"Shit. At least we're all still alive."

"Who are you people," asked an Elder, as he and the others obeyed and held their hands up.

"Your worst nightmare," Sarah replied.

"Carmichael," gasped the Elder.

"In the flesh. I'm flattered you actually consider me your worst nightmare. You should include my buddies here in that category too, however."

"Enough talking, all of you fuckheads step right over here and sit down, keeping your hands on your heads. You won't live to regret it if you try anything funny," growled Alex. "Where is the Tac Team?"

"Three minutes out," replied Chuck.

"We sure turned the chopper into Swiss cheese," remarked Sarah.

"That we did. Looks good, too," Morgan laughed.

Suddenly a single gunshot echoed from behind them. Morgan and Sarah instinctively turned to cover the rear, while Chuck and Alex watched over their captives. A body dropped from the roof of a low building on to the tarmac. The shooter stepped out of the shadows into the light.

"You missed one, Agents," said the new arrival.

"Valkyrie!" Sarah had immediately recognized the older woman, despite not having seen her for a very long time. Her agent training stopped her from calling her 'Mom'.

"Hello, Agent Carmichael. It's an honor to finally meet you and your team."

"Likewise, ma'am," replied Morgan.

"Valkyrie is here too? That explains a lot," mumbled one of the Elders.

"Hello Craig," Samantha Walker said. "So, your organization is indeed part of the Ring. I guess we got many birds with one stone here."

"Are you going to kill me?"

"You certainly deserve it, as it was because of you that I had to leave my family. But I won't do you the favor. You'll spend the rest of your days rotting in an underground prison."

The tactical team and the cleaners arrived and took over. In a quiet corner, Sam approached her daughter and her friends. Sarah was on the verge of tears, finally meeting again with her mother after so many years. Suddenly, Sam reached out and grabbed Sarah by the hair.

"Ouch, Mom, what's the matter with you?"

"My daughter, the daughter of the CIA's Valkyrie, is an NSA agent?" Sam yelled in mock anger, but immediately let go of Sarah's golden tresses and pulled her into a big hug. Both women were crying now.

"Mom…"

"Shhhh… I'm here, baby girl, I'm right here. I'll never leave you again. Please forgive me for leaving you the first time."

"Mom, when Dad told us why you left I could no longer hold it against you."

Chuck, Morgan, even Alex were visibly moved by the scene.

"But you're not yet off the hook for joining a rival agency, young lady," Sam joked.

"Mrs. Walker, that was Sarah's, um, revolution – of sorts. She didn't know your agency affiliations back then."

"I know, Chuck, I know."

"You know my name?"

"I know all of you. Morgan? Come here!" Sam hugged her daughter's best friend. "Thank you for always being there for my baby."

"We were always there for each other, Mrs. Walker."

"I want all of you to call me Sam. Except for you, of course, Sarah. I missed being called Mom. Chuck, Alex, I can't thank you two enough for keeping her safe."

"Sarah was well worth it," Alex said.

"Come on, let's go back to our hotel," Morgan said. "These two have a lot of catching up to do, so, Chuck, buddy, you bunk in with me tonight. I have a feeling Sam and Sarah will be talking all night long."

"Thanks little buddy."

As Morgan had predicted, Sarah and her Mom had a lot to talk about. The conversation centered mostly on Chuck, Devon, Ellie, Jack and Morgan. Sarah was astounded to learn that Sam had actually gone to her son's wedding in disguise. As she confessed, she wouldn't have missed the chance of seeing her husband and her kids together and happy for the world.

Sarah decided to cut her European vacation short. She wanted them all to fly back home the following day. She had the best present possible for Devon and her Dad. And she didn't want to have her family apart any more than she had to. When she told the others, Chuck showed her a bunch of first class tickets to LA. The reward for his forethought was a passionate kiss from Sarah and a hug from Sam. And so, the following morning five very happy people were on their way back to the States.


	21. Chapter 21 Sarah vs the Family Reunion

**A/N:** The story is drawing to a close, finally. Consider this the first part of the epilogue.

Standard disclaimers apply.

* * *

**Sarah vs the Family Reunion**

Chuck looked across the aisle to where Sarah sat with her Mom. She was very happy and in turn it made him happy too. He remembered going to their room to wake her up for the flight home. He had found her peacefully asleep in the bed, Sam watching over her, gently stroking her daughter's golden hair. Sam had given him a quick hug before trying to shake her baby girl awake. Sarah had just turned on her side without waking up. Chuck had then taken over, kissing his girlfriend's cheek and causing her to turn on her back again. Another kiss, on her lips this time, had finally done the trick. They had all packed the night before, so all that Chuck had left to do was call Frank and have him arrange for someone to pick up the Audi from the airport parking lot.

The flight to Los Angeles would be long, but certainly not boring. Morgan was sitting next to Chuck, enjoying the comfort of flying first class. Alex was engrossed in a magazine, having found the chance to relax. Sarah and Sam were still catching up on each other's lives. The fasten seatbelts sign had long ago been turned off, so Chuck rose from his seat and approached Sarah.

"Hey honey," he said simply.

"Chuck, about time. I think both Mom and I need a break from our trip down memory lane."

"You look like you need one. Sam, can I ask you something?"

"Sure, Chuck, anything."

"How did you find out about us? The team, I mean?"

"It was simple enough. The current Director of the CIA, the one who replaced that idiot Hicks, just happens to be an old partner of mine. I asked him about Sarah and imagine my surprise when he told me that she is an agent and working for General Casey. He was kind enough to give me information on you and Alex, but I was still a bit shocked to see Morgan with you."

"Alex is training Morgan. He and Awesome found out about Sarah-"

"She told me all about it and about Ellie as well."

"Did you know about…?" Instead of specifically mentioning the Intersect, Chuck tapped the side of Sarah's head lightly.

"Not until last night. That was quite a shock to the system, but if anything I'm proud of my baby."

"You are right to be proud of her, Sam. She was done a lot of good with… _it_."

"That she has. By the way, why do you call my son 'Awesome'? Not that he doesn't deserve it."

"That's Sarah's nickname for him and we've all kinda picked it up from her. Basically she's calling him Captain Awesome, and I must say it fits."

"No Mom, they have not yet found a pet name for me," Sarah said, answering Sam's questioning look.

"Alex has a pet name for you and so does Big Mike."

"Don't say it, or I'll go Intersect 2.0 on you. Chuck, I'm serious. Consider yourself warned," she said and pouted.

"Please, baby girl, I'm dying to know," her mother said.

"Alex calls her…"

"Don't!"

"… Nerd Girl."

"You are dead, Chuck."

"And her boss at the Buy More calls her…"

"It'll be slow and painful," Sarah warned.

"… Blondie Nerd," Chuck said, ignoring the threat. "Alex is Blondie Green, that's how he has named them," he continued. He looked at his girlfriend. She was trying hard to appear angry, but she was failing miserably.

"I like the nicknames," said Sam.

"Is there any other sordid secret you want to know about your daughter?"

"I think this was the last one."

"She's told you everything else then. Smart girl."

"Chuck, would you like to keep Sarah company for a while? I want to go talk to Morgan and then to Alex. I have a lot to discuss with them too."

"I'll be more than glad to." As soon as Sam got up, he took her seat and draped an arm around Sarah, pulling her close for a kiss.

"Don't even think about it. You are not yet forgiven for- mmmmmmmmm"

"Did you like it?"

"Kissing me to shut me up?"

"You've done it several times. It was my turn to see if it works on you."

"Apparently it does. Happy now?"

"I'm always happy when I'm around you. Ouch! What was that for?" Chuck asked the question because Sarah punched him in the shoulder.

"For always knowing a way to make me stop being mad at you."

"Can't help it. I'm so in love with you that I'll always find a way to make you feel better."

"I know. It's one of the reasons why I love you so much."

Eventually Sarah reclined her seat and fell asleep. She had stayed up most of the night talking to her Mom, so she was still tired. As for Sam, she finished her talk with Morgan and Alex and reclaimed her seat, where she too fell asleep, but not for long. Chuck, Morgan and Alex watched them, glad that things had worked out better than their wildest flights of imagination could have foreseen.

The flight from Switzerland to LA was a long one, but the in-flight service was excellent and the seats comfortable. They all managed to get some sleep and at one point Sam motioned for Chuck to join her at the bar. She ordered a vodka for herself, while Chuck went for a Jack Daniels on the rocks.

"Chuck," she began, "you know I talked with Sarah and she told me all about you and your relationship with her."

"I know, Sam."

"I saw you on the Bateau Mouche in Paris."

"You were there?"

"Yes. I was on a mission and I had just turned over surveillance of the mark to the next shift, so I had nothing else to do and decided to take the boat tour."

"And you took the same boat Sarah and I had taken."

"Imagine my surprise when I saw you two dancing. It was all I could do not to come in and… and…"

"I understand how hard it was. You didn't want to blow your mission. It's something I can relate to. In fact for two years I was scared to reveal my feelings for Sarah to her. I hurt her many times, but back then I felt I had no choice."

"So she told me. You are together now and this is the most important thing. The difficult times you went through only made your bond stronger."

"Thank you Sam. Thank you for being so understanding," Chuck said with a smile.

"One more thing; were those your parents on the boat?"

"Yes, that was them, Stephen and Mary Bartowski."

"I liked them both. I only saw them from afar and not for long, but they are definitely nice people."

"You should have seen how my Mom reacted when she found out I'm a CIA agent."

"She didn't know?"

"No. Let me tell you, Hell hath no fury like a mother kept in the dark about her only son's career."

"She seemed okay to me."

"That was because she met Sarah for the first time there. She really likes her, you know. She was still mad at me and my Dad, but she was also very happy to meet Sarah, who likes my Mom too, by the way."

"And your father is an excellent dancer."

"Sarah had to flash to keep up with him," Chuck said and winked.

"Really?"

"No, I'm just kidding. Seriously now, Sam, you should get some more sleep. You look like you stayed up all night."

"I did stay up all night."

"Come on. You need to be rested and fresh for when we get home." He got up and Sam let him guide her back to her seat. Sitting down next to her daughter, she went out like a light. Chuck watched them both as they slept and smiled. Settling comfortably back in his own seat, he picked up a newspaper and idly leafed through it.

The next thing he knew was Morgan shaking him to wake him up.

"Huh? Morgan, what's going on buddy?"

"We're on final approach to LAX. So move your seat to the upright position and fasten your seatbelt."

"What time is it?"

"My watch is still on Zurich time, Chuck."

"We left Zurich at nine o'clock, right?"

"Correct."

"It's about a thirteen hour flight."

"Twelve hours and thirty five minutes on average."

"So it's some time in the afternoon here in LA."

"Correct again," Morgan said, doing some mental calculations to confirm.

The landing was smooth and the team quickly moved to get through customs and immigration. Their government credentials made getting done with the formalities a breeze. The longest wait was in the baggage claim area, but after they picked up their stuff, including Sarah's steamer trunk, they hurried to the short-term parking lot.

"Mom, you are coming with me in my car."

"You have a car? You didn't have one when Devon got married."

"I do now. Here she is."

"You bought a Porsche?"

"Dad bought her. He just gave her to me."

"I'll need to have a talk with Jack. He was always spoiling you," she said smiling.

Chuck and Morgan loaded their baggage into the Charger, while Alex threw her bag in the Barracuda's trunk. They had left some equipment behind in the care of some of Casey's contacts in Zurich to be shipped back to the States at the earliest convenience. The three-vehicle convoy rolled out of the airport area and turned towards Burbank.

On the way Morgan called his girlfriend to let her know he was back. She was enthusiastic, especially when he told her he had a surprise for her. Sarah had agreed with the others not to call her Dad, her brother and her sister in law. She wanted Sam's appearance to be a surprise. Fortunately Jack had moved to his son's apartment for a few days while his place, which neither Sarah nor Devon knew where it was, was being fumigated.

Sarah was so eager to see her whole family reunited that she drove really fast, having flashed on the appropriate techniques. One motorcycle cop had made the mistake of pulling her over, but Sarah instantly transformed into Agent Carmichael and literally shoved her NSA badge in the brunette's face. If the lady officer wasn't sufficiently intimidated by then, she definitely was when she found herself looking at Sam's CIA badge. She glanced nervously at the two muscle cars that stopped behind the Porsche.

"These are my associates," said Sarah, as Chuck got out of the Charger and approached them. The cop made the mistake of eyeing him appreciatively, something that didn't escape Sarah's attention.

"Everything OK here, Officer?" Chuck asked, producing his badge.

"Um, yes sir, everything is OK." She then turned to Sarah. "Well, ma'am, you are free to go."

"Thank you," Sarah said haughtily. "Just don't do anything stupid and mention over the radio that you stumbled on an NSA operation. Your frequencies are not secure and if I get wind that my partners and I have been compromised because of you, you'll be lucky to get a job at a greasy fast food joint. If you don't end up in the slammer or in an unmarked grave, that is."

"Yes ma'am," the officer gulped.

"Have a nice day," Sarah said, smiling sweetly and getting back in her car. "Skank," she muttered under her breath as she sped away.

"What was that all about, Sarah?" Sam asked.

"What?"

"You were really nasty to that officer. She was just doing her job."

"I know, but I didn't like the way she looked at my Chuck. That boy is great, really great and I love him, but he somehow attracts brunettes like bees to honey."

"That's why you threatened her?"

"I was going to let her get away with stopping us until she started ogling him."

"My, my; are you jealous, baby girl?"

"Me, jealous? No, definitely not. Maybe I overreacted a little. I mean, c'mon Mom. I'm tired and I'm really excited at having my family back together and…"

"It's okay, Sarah."

"Thanks Mom."

The rest of the drive to Echo Park was uneventful and soon all three cars were parked in their spots. Sarah dragged her steamer trunk out of Chuck's car and went straight to her brother's apartment. She knew where Devon and Ellie kept a spare key, but when she saw light coming out of a window she decided to knock.

"Sarah you are back!" Devon exclaimed when he saw her and pulled his little sister into a bear hug. Ellie came running to the door and squealed happily when she saw her.

"Hi Devon, Ellie. Can you give me a hand with this?"

"Sure. It's not too heavy. What's in there?"

"My stuff and some things I bought for you guys. Where is Dad?"

"I'm right here, Angel," Jack called from the kitchen. Surreptitiously Sarah motioned with her hand for Sam to hide in the shadows, as she wanted the surprise to go as planned. She opened the trunk and started pulling various neatly labeled packages out.

"Dad, this is for you. Devon, this is yours. Ellie, these boxes are from me and this one is from Devon."

"What's in them?"

"This one is souvenirs I bought for you in Europe, this one is full of Swiss chocolates-"

"Swiss chocolates, I love them, thanks Sarah!"

"And Devon asked me to get the last one for you."

"Awww, it's a Cuckoo clock! I always wanted one of those, thanks guys!" Ellie enthusiastically hugged the Walker siblings.

"Sarah, where is Chuck?" Jack asked.

"He's taking our stuff to our place with Morgan."

"With Morgan? Where did he disappear to, by the way?"

"Ellie, he was in Switzerland with Alex, Chuck and me."

"What were you all doing…? You were on a mission?"

"A short one well worth interrupting my vacation."

"Really?" Ellie looked like she was about to blow up when Chuck Alex and Morgan entered.

"You gave them their presents, sweetheart?" Chuck asked.

"All except for the best one," Sarah replied and whistled. Nothing happened. Curious, she went out and found Sam frozen in place, unable to move. "Mom, what's wrong with you? Come on," she whispered.

"I'm scared, Sarah."

"You? What are you scared of?"

"I don't know if they'll be happy to see me."

"Mom, get a grip on yourself. It's no time for insecurities now. I know and you know that they'll all be thrilled to see you."

"Well, what is that present anyway, darling?" Jack asked as Sarah reappeared at the door, pulling at something.

"This," she replied and pulled hard enough to drag Sam into the apartment and send her flying into her husband's arms.

"Sam? Sam baby, is it really you?" He held her tightly, slowly convincing himself that he wasn't dreaming, that the love of his life was back with him.

"Mom?" Devon was also stunned. He recovered quickly and vaulted over the couch to envelop both his parents in a big hug. Ellie stood rooted in shock. When the realization sank in, she was so happy that she started tearing up. By now Sam was crying with happiness and inevitably set Sarah and Ellie off. The whole family hugged, while Chuck, Morgan and Alex watched with huge smiles on their faces.

"How… how is this possible?" Devon asked.

"It's simple, big brother," Sarah said when she was again able to breathe. "The organization Mom had to run from turned out to be a part of the Ring. When we took down the Ring's leadership, we eliminated the threat to Mom as well."

"We'll talk about all this later," Said Jack. "Right now I want to do this." He grabbed his wife and kissed her. He kissed her like he did the first time she had allowed him to; like on the day she'd said yes; like on the day of their wedding; like the times when they had learned Sam was pregnant with their children; like he had done on every happy occasion of their lives.

"You haven't lost your touch, Jack Walker," she said when they came up for air. All the others applauded and cheered.

"What can I say? I'm a great kisser."

"I hope you haven't been practicing," she teased.

"Okay Sarah," Chuck said. "Now I see where you got your jealous streak from."

"I AM NOT JEALOUS!" Sam and Sarah yelled together.

"Mom, cool your jets," Devon said. "The important thing is that you are back and you are here to stay, right?"

"I'm not going anywhere."

"Awesome!"

"Right now we all have some catching up to do. Sarah tried to fill me in as best as she could, but there are some things I'd like to hear from you guys. Ellie, don't just stand there! Come here, you are part of the family too. And I must say you were the best looking bride I have ever seen."

"How do you know about that, Mom?"

"As I told your sister, I wasn't about to miss my son's wedding."

"You went to the wedding?"

"In disguise. Do you have the wedding album?"

"I'll go get it!" Ellie said. She gave it to Sam, who leafed through the pages.

"That's me right here."

"No wonder none of us recognized you. It's a great disguise."

"Tell me about it. I couldn't recognize myself when I looked in the mirror; which was a good thing."

"This calls for a celebration," decreed Ellie. "Morgan, call little Alex and see if she can make it."

"Who is this little Alex?" Sam asked.

"She's Morgan's girlfriend, General Casey's daughter."

"And you are still breathing, Morgan?"

"Apparently Mrs. Casey likes me. And her husband too, "Morgan said.

"And to avoid confusion, when Ms. Casey comes here, call Major Forrest 'Alexandra', OK Sam?"

"Sure thing, Chuck."

That day was one of the most memorable in their lives. The Walker family was back together and its members were glad to share their happiness with their closest friends. There was a lot of reminiscing, joking about the past and just enjoying the company involved. It was well past midnight when they all finally retired to their rooms, after agreeing to reconvene in the morning to continue the bonding and catching up session.


	22. Chapter 22 Sarah vs the Happy Life

**A/N:** Finally the story is over. I almost can't believe that I have completed not one, but three stories so far.

Thanks for sticking around in the almost three and a half months it took me to write it.

And, lest we forget, all disclaimers apply.

* * *

**Sarah vs the Happy Life**

Chuck was nervous. In fact he couldn't remember being so nervous in his entire life. A long drive might help clear his head, he thought as he put the Charger into gear. Driving along the highway, his mind wandered to the events of the past few months, after the return from Europe with Sarah's Mom. Mopping up the headless Ring, its component organizations and its subsidiaries had proven surprisingly easy. Well, not really surprising with Jack and Sam on the team. As Devon had eloquently put it, espionage was the family business and business had been good. And it had been a very happy time too. Sarah had finally quit the Buy More for good and started a –not cover – business with her Dad. Orion Games & Software would soon become one of the top brands as word about the quality of its products spread. And the first place in the world to get their new releases was the Burbank Buy More, prospering under Big Mike and Morgan. The latter also had the privilege of doing the pre-release testing of Sarah's games between his college classes and the time he spent with little Alex.

He turned back towards Burbank, determined to complete his new mission. It was like no other mission he had ever undertaken, but it was very important. He parked the car at its usual spot and walked down the street. As it had transpired, Jack was living with Sam in the old Walker family house, within easy walking distance from the apartment complex where his kids lived. Chuck took a deep breath, smoothed his tie and knocked on the door. He hoped it wasn't too early in the day for a visit, but he felt that what he had to say couldn't wait.

"Hello Chuck," Sam said as she answered the door. "Come in."

"Thanks Sam."

"Do we have a new mission?"

"No. I just wanted a word with you and Jack."

"Let me see if I can tear him from his computers." A couple of minutes later she came back into the living room with her husband.

"Chuck," he said, "nice of you to drop by."

"Thanks Jack. As I told Sam, I need to talk to you. It's about Sarah."

"Sit down and tell us everything."

"Jack, Sam," Chuck began after taking a seat, "you know how much I love your daughter. And now I think the time has come to take it to the next level with her. So, can I have your permission? Can I marry Sarah?"

The smiles on the faces of Mr. and Mrs. Walker were enough of an answer, but Jack verbalized it too.

"Son, you have our blessing. I can't think of anyone who'd make a better husband for our baby girl than you."

"And I'm sure you'll have a very happy life together," added Sam.

"When are you going to pop the big Q?" Jack asked.

"Tonight; I am going to propose to her tonight after dinner. I have everything ready, including the ring. Here it is," he said, digging into a pocket and producing a small box. When he opened it, Jack and Sam admired the simple yet beautiful ring it contained. Some small talk later, he hugged his soon to be in-laws and returned home.

Sarah was still asleep. It was her day off and she had made sure to pull the plug on the alarm clock. He looked down at her angelic form and smiled. After taking off his jacket and tie and kicking off his shoes, he lay down next to her. She automatically snuggled up to him and made herself comfortable in her new position.

Later, after serving her breakfast in bed, they decided to visit Ellie. Devon was at work, and Sarah wanted to keep her four months pregnant sister-in-law company. That and seek some advice on the dinner party she had planned for the evening. Despite the pregnancy Ellie was still a formidable dinner planner and she made sure to give Sarah all the help she needed. Chuck wisely kept away from the kitchen. He didn't want to face two women in Martha Stewart mode, especially since one of them could call up the Intersect 2.0 knife skills at will.

With nothing else to do, he snuck back into the bedroom and started playing a first person shooter computer game Sarah had developed. Before long she came to him with a long list of things she needed from the store and he obediently went to get them. Said list had obviously been written by two people. He could tell where Ellie had added her input, as the entries in the non-Sarah handwriting mostly concerned snacks one would expect a pregnant woman to crave for.

The shopping done he was once again dismissed and summarily ordered to remain on standby in the living room, just in case any last minute purchases needed to be made.

Dinner was great. Much of Sarah's panic about the occasion had been due to the fact that they would have many more guests than usual. In addition to herself, Chuck, Devon, Ellie, Morgan, Alex and Alexandra she had cooked for Jill, Carina, Jack, Sam, Stephen, Mary and the Caseys, the latter mentioned having flown in to visit their daughter.

After dinner they were all enjoying drinks and the friendly atmosphere. Bolonia Grimes had stopped by at one point to give Morgan some things only she knew where she'd been keeping and the others had insisted that she stay. She and Kathleen had hit it off instantly.

Chuck gave a meaningful look to Jack and Sam and they both nodded. Chuck then rose and cleared his throat to get everyone's attention.

"First of all, ladies and gentlemen," he said, "I'd like to apologize for interrupting your conversations, but I have something important to say." He paused and took a deep breath. "By now all of you know how deeply I am in love with Sarah, the woman of my life. And right now I can't imagine my life without her in it. I believe it's time to take the next step." He moved to where Sarah was standing near Awesome and Ellie and knelt before her. "I have your parents' blessing and this," he said, producing the ring. "Sarah Walker, will you make me the happiest man in the world by becoming my wife?"

She looked at him in mild shock and then, suddenly, she gagged, her hand flew up to cover her mouth and she dashed to the bathroom. Ellie, Alexandra, Jill, Carina and Alex ran after her, leaving the others just sitting there in total shock.

"I certainly didn't expect that kind of reaction," Chuck said to no one in particular.

In the bathroom, the other girls fussed over Sarah for several minutes. The rest were wondering what was going on when they heard excited squeals and clapping. Mary and Sam were the first to grasp what was happening. They jumped to their feet and hugged, laughing and crying at the same time, while bouncing up and down like schoolgirls. Stephen was the next one to catch on. From Chuck's desk he took a box and started passing cigars around to the men. Realization sank in and a happy chatter filled the room. Chuck was still kneeling on the carpet, completely stunned as he too finally understood why Sarah had behaved like that.

He hadn't moved an inch when the girls returned, a timid and at the same time happy Sarah in the lead.

"Sorry about that, Chuck," she said. "It had nothing to do with the proposal, which I accept, by the way. That's a yes, Chuck, I will marry you."

He slipped the ring on her finger to the applause of their assembled guests and then, without rising, he placed his hands on her hips, drew her close and rested his head on her abdomen. She smiled and pulled him to his feet before planting a loving kiss on him.

-o-

Months later

Alex Forrest looked at the photographs on her bookcase again and drained the last of her whiskey. She decided that some day she would accept Sarah's standing offer for a job at Orion Games and Software. She was getting tired of saving the world on a daily basis and she'd need a change soon. Putting the glass in the dishwasher, she went up the stairs to her bedroom and changed into her pajamas. She had just gotten into bed when she heard the sound of a baby crying next door. She hoped that Ellie and Devon would calm Awesome Junior down before he set off the Bartowski twins across the courtyard. Her maternal instincts were almost nonexistent, but she had to admit that she liked the three new residents of the apartment complex. And they were all fond of Auntie Alexandra too for some unexplained reason, always smiling or sleeping peacefully and never being fussy every time she held them. The Awesomes succeeded in making their son quiet down and so Alex smiled, turned on her side and quickly fell asleep. She needed the rest as she would have to embark on a grueling mission in the morning: babysitting the three little demons to allow their parents to have a Saturday to themselves. At least Aunties Jill and Carina were available to provide backup, if needed.

**THE END**


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